Henry W. Acland 19 - 1860

This portrait of Henry W. Acland was made in the 19th century by Jeremiah Gurney, a pioneer of photography in the United States. The image is a salted paper print, a process that involves coating paper with a salt solution and then silver nitrate, creating a surface sensitive to light. The sepia tones and soft focus are characteristic of this early photographic technique, where the artist meticulously controlled the chemical reactions to fix the image. Photography at this time was as much craft as science. Gurney was working at a time when photography studios were becoming increasingly popular, democratizing portraiture in ways that paintings never could. The production of these images was tied to a growing consumer culture, which provided not only a service but also a tangible memento of social status and personal identity. By understanding the materials and the making of this portrait, we can consider its place at the intersection of art, science, and society.