James Gordon, William Hanna D.D. and 'Mr. Cowan' 1843 - 1847

David Octavius Hill created this calotype of James Gordon, William Hanna D.D. and ‘Mr. Cowan’ using an early photographic process. Hill was deeply involved in the social and intellectual movements of his time. This portrait exists in the context of 19th-century Scottish society, marked by significant religious and intellectual ferment. Hill himself was a key figure, documenting the schism in the Church of Scotland. The sitters in the image were key members of Scottish society. Examining this image we see how the relatively new medium of photography was used to capture and preserve likenesses and social dynamics in a way that reinforced existing power structures. Yet, even within this seemingly straightforward portrait, there's a quiet, almost palpable sense of human connection, a shared moment frozen in time that transcends the formal constraints of the medium. How does this image speak to the complex interplay between representation, identity, and historical narrative?