Portret van een onbekende man met baard 1885 - 1906

This photographic portrait of an unknown, bearded man was produced in Amsterdam by the firm W.G. Kuijer & Zonen. Photography in the 19th century served a rapidly expanding middle class, eager to record and circulate their likenesses. The man’s dark suit, white shirt and tie signify a certain level of professional respectability, further accentuated by the carefully trimmed beard. His relatively informal hairstyle, however, may hint at more progressive social or political leanings. The existence of portrait studios such as Kuijer & Zonen, catering to a broad public, demonstrates the democratization of image-making in this era. These businesses both reflected and amplified the social aspirations of the middle class. To understand this image more fully, one might research the history of photography studios in Amsterdam and study the visual codes of middle-class identity in the Netherlands. This can give us insights into how individuals presented themselves and the values they wished to project.