Fotocollage van 9 miniatuurportretten van Duitse vorsten, militairen en politici uit de periode 1830-1866, waaronder Otto von Bismarck c. 1870

This is a photo collage of nine miniature portraits of German Royalty, military personnel and politicians, including Otto von Bismarck. It was made by Aug. Parisot, likely sometime between 1830 and 1866, the period covered in the portraits. This type of portraiture was very popular at the time and offered a way of recording likenesses of prominent people, but more than that, it was a signifier of social status. Photography was becoming more popular but it was still relatively expensive, and so owning images of prominent individuals was a status symbol. The dates at the bottom of the image, 1864-1866, suggest the period of the Second Schleswig War, a pivotal moment in German unification. Otto von Bismarck was the Minister President of Prussia at the time, and his appearance here is particularly significant given his importance to the rise of Germany as a unified empire. Understanding the social and political history of the time is important for interpreting an image like this. Examining archives, newspapers, and other historical documents can help shed light on the meanings that people at the time might have attached to such images.