Portret van een man met snor 1880 - 1912

Curator: So, here we have "Portret van een man met snor," or "Portrait of a man with a mustache," taken sometime between 1880 and 1912 by Johannes G.H. Beelenkamp. It’s a gelatin-silver print, set into this lovely decorative card. Editor: He looks… earnest. The sepia tones give him this weight, like he’s carrying the industrial revolution on his shoulders. Though it’s so controlled, so… buttoned-up. I feel like there's a longing in his eyes—what do you think? Curator: Longing, yes, maybe. It strikes me as more a quiet sort of pride, perhaps. Look at how precisely he’s dressed, the crisp edges of his bow tie against his collar. Beelenkamp captured a real sense of self-possession here. What about the physical construction itself—does anything stand out to you in terms of its materiality? Editor: Absolutely. The silver gelatin printing process, invented just before this, democratized photography. It was suddenly so much easier, quicker, and more consistent than older methods. It transformed portraiture from something exclusive to the elite into a more accessible commodity. Every detail then contributes to constructing, or should I say, consuming identity. Curator: Good point. These photo cards also became extremely popular at this time. To have these images, which democratized the portrait, and thus contributed to expanding the notions of selfhood and individuality… very interesting. Editor: These material aspects deeply affect how we receive this image, too. This wasn't simply capturing an instant; it was about presenting a considered, tangible piece of yourself to the world—for status or, perhaps, posterity. This gentleman’s ‘stache and all. Curator: Ha! I love that even this serious gent’s mustache becomes a key element in understanding that democratization and massification of personal identity at that time. Thank you! That’s given me so much more to ponder with this photograph. Editor: And thanks to Johannes G.H. Beelenkamp for the material—quite literally—to inspire that pondering.