Blad afkomstig uit een fotoalbum, met 5 foto's (ongemonteerde carte-de-visites) en met inkt aangebrachte randversieringen c. 1865 - 1870

Curator: Here we have a page from a photo album, likely dating from the late 1860s. It combines five carte-de-visite portraits with hand-drawn embellishments in ink. Editor: What strikes me immediately is the formality contrasted with that rather whimsical hand-drawn ornamentation. It's a strange pairing—rigid portraiture softened by almost childlike drawings of bows and ribbons. Curator: Exactly! The cartes-de-visite themselves were mass-produced, enabled by advances in photographic techniques. These albumen prints would have been relatively affordable and widespread. But look closer. Editor: Yes, the addition of the inky green designs makes it unique, doesn't it? A personal touch elevating what was essentially a commodity into something more individualized. Curator: Consider the social implications. Photography democratized portraiture, making it accessible beyond the wealthy elite. This album page reveals how individuals actively shaped and personalized these standardized images to express their social status and relations, but the materiality adds the intimate part as it has been designed by the lady herself for her beloved ones. Editor: Looking at the composition, it feels like an attempt to inject some visual rhythm. The portraits are carefully arranged, creating a satisfying symmetry. The green ribbons frame them but also lead the eye from one face to the next. The bows create almost like little gift wrap design, Curator: True. Each frame also reflects an individual sitting for a photograph: their stance, clothing and personal artifacts are carefully curated. Lady Filmer knew how to construct family in photographs to leave for the generations to come! Editor: In short, it's not just about who's depicted; it's about how they're depicted and in turn about who and how was arranging them. Curator: And how even mass-produced objects could be reworked. So, this seemingly simple album page actually presents a window into 19th-century social practices and photographic technology. It tells stories that stretch far beyond each person portrayed. Editor: Indeed, a potent mixture of constraint and craft that resonates far beyond its humble, domestic scale. This is so simple and powerful!