Portret van May Derrickson, reclame voor Orion W. Lemer 1895 - 1910

Curator: This is "Portrait of May Derrickson, Advertisement for Orion W. Lemer," dating from somewhere between 1895 and 1910. The piece combines photography with print elements, creating a unique advertising medium. Editor: What strikes me immediately is the image's emphasis on texture. Look at the plumes on her hat, the lace details on her bodice... it's a celebration of the tangible, almost hyper-real for its time. Curator: Absolutely, the materiality of fashion takes center stage. One must consider how photography, as a newer mode of image production, democratized access to portraiture but was still deeply intertwined with commercial interests and constructions of ideal beauty. Editor: That blending of art and commerce is key here. Lemer using a portrait format typically reserved for high society cleverly elevates his brand, creating a kind of aspirational appeal. This photograph isn’t just selling a product, it's selling a lifestyle. Curator: Precisely. And it is interesting to unpack how the politics of imagery and self-representation intertwine. Was May Derrickson a known figure, and how might her image have impacted sales? Editor: These were mass-produced trade cards and photographs aimed at building brand recognition, but each one carried its cultural weight. The clothes, the feathered hat...they communicated aspirational values. Curator: Indeed. What appears simply to be an image, when viewed through this lens, exposes complex material practices linked to commercial power. Editor: Agreed. The integration of this sort of advertisement speaks to a broader cultural trend, transforming advertising into something visually striking with the integration of the values implicit in "high" art.