Untitled (half length portrait of man with beard looking right, fob on watch chain) 1868 - 1871

Editor: This is an untitled portrait by Mathew Brady, a photographic print. It's quite formal, even stern. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Brady was a key figure in documenting 19th-century America. Consider this image in the context of portraiture at the time. Who had access to it, and what did it signify to have one's likeness captured? Editor: I guess photography was becoming more accessible, but still a symbol of status? Curator: Precisely. It’s also worth asking, how does this portrait uphold or challenge social hierarchies and gendered expectations? Does it perhaps democratize representation, or does it reinforce existing power dynamics through its formal presentation? Editor: That's something I hadn't considered; seeing it as more than just a portrait of a man. Curator: Exactly! By examining the historical context, we can uncover so much more about the narratives embedded within the image.