Untitled (bust length portrait of man with moustache labeled Fred Ball Rice, 1887) 1886 - 1887

Editor: Here we have an untitled portrait by Pach Brothers, created around 1887. It's a sepia toned photograph, a bust-length shot of a man identified as Fred Ball Rice. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: The uniformity in these studio portraits speaks volumes. Consider the controlled labor behind each image: the photographers, the assistants, the precise chemical processes involved in producing these cartes de visite. How does this process reflect the societal values of standardization and consumption in the late 19th century? Editor: That's fascinating! It reframes the photograph as more than just an individual portrait. Curator: Precisely. It's a manufactured object, reflecting the industrialization of image-making and its impact on social identity. The name at the bottom, what does that imply? Editor: It is the photographer's name, so they wanted to be recognized for their process. Curator: Right! It makes the photo not just of someone, but *by* someone.