Portret van een onbekende man c. 1880 - 1900

This is a cabinet card portrait of an unknown man, made by Hermanus Jodocus Weesing in Amsterdam. The cabinet card was a popular form of photography in the late 19th century. It was often used for portraiture and allowed middle class people to participate in visual culture, too. The man is dressed in a suit and tie, which suggests that he is middle class. He has a serious expression on his face, which was common in portraiture of this period, in part because of long exposure times. Photography studios played a significant role in shaping visual culture during this time. They were responsible for creating images that reflected and reinforced social norms. By looking at photographic portraits like this one, we can learn about the way people in the Netherlands wanted to present themselves to the world during the late 19th century. To understand more about the subject, we could consult census records, city directories, and other historical documents.