Untitled [portrait of an unidentified woman] 1858 - 1869

Jeremiah Gurney made this portrait of an unidentified woman, using the wet collodion process, a photographic technique popular in the mid-19th century. This process involved coating a glass plate with light-sensitive chemicals, exposing it in a camera, and then developing the image immediately. This allowed for detailed and relatively quick image production. The resulting photograph, often mounted on card stock, had a unique tonal range and sharpness, evident in the woman’s delicate features and the texture of her clothing. Gurney was one of the leading photographers in New York, capturing likenesses of both ordinary citizens and famous figures. His studio was part of a burgeoning industry that democratized portraiture. Photography provided a rapidly expanding middle class with access to images, once a luxury reserved for the wealthy. This portrait, therefore, is not just an image of a woman, but also a record of the changing social landscape brought about by new technologies and modes of production. It collapses any assumed hierarchy between artistic skill and mere labor.