Jaap Batavier c. 1891

Willem Witsen made this photograph, Jaap Batavier, using a gelatin silver process, a popular technique from the late 19th century onwards. The photograph's sepia tones, a direct result of the chemical process, give the image a warmth and timeless quality. The gelatin silver process involves coating a paper base with light-sensitive silver halide crystals suspended in gelatin. When exposed to light, these crystals react, creating a latent image that is then developed into a visible picture. Mass production of photographic materials made the medium accessible, and it was not only used for portraiture, but also for documenting social issues and everyday life. Labor was required to produce and process photographs, from factory workers making photographic paper, to the photographer taking and developing the image, demonstrating the medium’s inextricable link to wider social, political, and economic structures. Considering the materials and the labor involved in the production of this photograph reminds us that art and craft are intertwined.