Untitled (Portrait of Man with Large Mustache) 1850 - 1899

Curator: This captivating gelatin-silver print, residing here at The Art Institute of Chicago, is an untitled portrait, plausibly of an American man from the latter half of the 19th century, sometime between 1850 and 1899. What are your initial impressions? Editor: Haunting, almost. His eyes bore right through me, like he knows all my secrets and regrets. It's that Victorian formality mixed with an unsettlingly direct gaze, I suppose. The sepia tones add to that sense of stepping back into time, to face someone's past, someone else's reality. Curator: Precisely. Consider the process of creating a gelatin-silver print during this era. Photography was rapidly evolving, yet still required careful control over chemical processes and precise timing. The very act of sitting for such a portrait spoke of certain societal expectations. It's a constructed performance. Editor: That's true. And thinking of it that way...I can feel how stiff and posed he is! Is that what it meant to *be* back then? Did his suit choke him? It seems very restricting. Curator: Note, however, the fine details. Look at the pinstripes of his vest, or the texture of his tie and jacket. These material aspects illustrate the economic conditions, reflecting a degree of wealth, certainly. But beyond status, the mass production of clothing began altering how identity was understood. Editor: So he's trapped—between wanting to appear important (clothing) and feeling restricted by this seriousness (photography). No room to breathe or be expressive. The photographer, perhaps, captured *that* unease perfectly? Curator: Precisely. It’s an early photographic attempt at preserving history. One man's attempt to fashion himself. One photographer's success at portraying a truth that lingers long after its capture. What ultimately, then, will stay with you? Editor: That searching gaze. As if he wants to connect with someone from beyond his world... I guess that "someone" is us, now. Makes you consider all the countless, forgotten people hidden inside history books and archives. Curator: Yes. Each print, each photograph is a material artifact loaded with unseen narratives and complicated connections. I hadn’t considered that aspect so emotionally.