Portret van een onbekende jongen, leunend op een tafel 1865 - 1870

This is a photograph by Dagron et Cie., titled "Portret van een onbekende jongen, leunend op een tafel," or "Portrait of an unknown boy, leaning on a table." We don't know when this image was made, but in the 19th century, photography transformed portraiture. It became more accessible across class lines. No longer exclusively for the wealthy, this technological advancement allowed the middle class to participate in constructing and preserving their own images. Here we see a young boy, likely from a family of means given the trappings of the image. He is formally dressed, with a book in hand, leaning against an ornate table. The image captures more than just his likeness; it encapsulates his identity, class, and social standing. In these early photographs, the subjects often look somber and serious; this was in part because of the longer exposure times. But I wonder, was it also because sitters felt the weight of the historical moment they were participating in? The photograph serves as a poignant reminder of the democratization of image making, but it is also a document of its time, and of the people who could afford it.