Portret van een man met een strohoed c. 1913 - 1914

This tiny, silvery portrait of a man with a straw hat was made by American Automatic Photography. I wonder what that even means... automatic photography? Was it a photobooth situation, or a way of automating the darkroom? Anyways, what I love is the way he is so clearly posing, trying to get a look that is both casual and elegant. He looks like he is trying to say, 'I'm an artist!' or 'I'm a poet!'. But he’s also got his hands in his pockets like a regular guy. What was it like to be him? The hat, the bow tie. What was he thinking? Was he in love? Was he broke? I can imagine him looking at this photo later in his life and remembering this moment and wondering who he was back then. The picture captures that feeling, the feeling of a lost moment. Isn't it amazing how even a tiny old photo can spark a whole world of imagination?