Visitekaartje van fotograaf Albert Greiner met een portret van een onbekende vrouw op de postzegel 1874 - 1887

This is the calling card of photographer Albert Greiner, active in Amsterdam in the mid-19th century. Printed on the card is a portrait of an unknown woman, functioning as the stamp. Cards like this offer us a glimpse into the intersection of commerce, identity, and representation during this period. Greiner, as the photographer, held a certain power in shaping the images of his sitters. Though the sitter is unknown to us, we can imagine her motivations for commissioning such a portrait; a desire to project a certain image of herself, or to participate in the burgeoning culture of photography. The “specialiteit in vergrootingen”, or “speciality in enlargements”, mentioned here, speaks to the growing demand for portraiture as a form of social currency. By placing the image on a stamp, Greiner transforms her likeness into a commodity, circulating her image as a token of exchange within a social network. This card raises questions about the role of photography in constructing and disseminating identities, and the complex relationships between photographer, sitter, and viewer.