Untitled (Portrait of Woman with Hat) 1850 - 1899

This portrait of a woman with a hat, mounted on card, is a product of late 19th-century photographic technology. At the time, the photographic process, with its reliance on chemical reactions and standardized formats, was a product of industrialization. Consider the material qualities of the print: the sepia tones, the smooth surface of the image against the textured card, and the way light reflects from the coated surface. This has been achieved through specialized manufacturing processes. The rise of photography coincided with increased consumption and commodification. Middle class Victorian families would have portraits like these taken in order to signify social status and project an image of themselves. Note the woman’s lace collar and ornate hat; these details would have also required the labour of skilled craftspeople. So, next time you look at a photograph, remember that it is not just a captured moment, but also a material object, embedded with economic, social, and cultural meaning.