[Studio Portrait: Man in Coat Carrying Baskets, St. Petersburg] 1860s - 1870s

This is William Carrick’s studio portrait of a man in St. Petersburg, captured sometime in the mid-19th century through photography. During this period in Russia, photography emerged as a powerful tool for documenting the diverse populace of the expanding empire. Carrick, of Scottish and Russian heritage, sought to capture the essence of Russian life, often focusing on the working class. In this image, we see a man, likely a vendor or craftsman, burdened with baskets, his face bearing the marks of labor and resilience. It is difficult not to wonder, what stories do those eyes hold? What are his dreams, his struggles in a society undergoing rapid transformation? Rather than romanticizing the sitter, Carrick presents a dignified, realistic portrayal, challenging the traditional norms of portraiture. The photograph invites us to reflect on the lives of those often marginalized in historical narratives.