Portret van een vrouw met boek in de hand, leunend op een stoel Possibly 1882 - 1887

Ernst Wolffram made this photograph of a woman with a book, but we don't know when or where it was made. The woman's clothing provides the key to understanding it in its cultural moment. Her dark dress, high neckline, and cross necklace place her squarely in the mid-to-late 19th century, a time of increased piety and conservative social norms in many parts of Europe and America. The book she holds could symbolize her literacy, a sign of middle-class status. However, she isn't reading. Instead, the book becomes a prop, signifying education as a social accomplishment rather than intellectual pursuit. Photographs like this one became increasingly common as photography democratized portraiture. Now, not only the wealthy could have their likeness preserved. Genealogists and social historians will find these images useful, as they reveal details about fashion, social class, and the changing role of women in the 19th century.