Portret van een onbekende student met wandelstok 1899 - 1902

Anna Christina Nordlöw-Björk made this photograph, ‘Portret van een onbekende student met wandelstok’, or 'Portrait of an unknown student with walking stick', sometime between 1863 and 1947. It is a cabinet card, a style of photograph that was widely popular for portraits from the 1860s onwards. The photograph represents a young man who has not been identified, although his attire suggests someone of education and means. His smart suit, bow tie and flower indicate a certain formality. The student cap and walking stick add further details to his persona. The photograph’s material form speaks of a specific moment in the history of photography, before the rise of amateur snapshots. To truly understand this image, we need to know the social conventions for student portraits in Sweden at the time. Researching archives of student associations and photographic studios may reveal more about the context in which this image was made and consumed. By exploring these avenues, we can better appreciate the social and institutional forces that shaped the production and reception of this artwork.