Untitled (bust length portrait of clean shaven man labeled George R. R. Rivers, A.B. 1875) 1874 - 1875

Curator: William Notman’s "Untitled (bust length portrait of clean shaven man labeled George R. R. Rivers, A.B. 1875)" is an albumen print mounted on cardstock. It's hard to escape the feeling of a bygone era, a rigid formality. What do you see in the portrait's staging? Editor: The subject seems trapped by the conventions of his time. The neat suit and tie, the almost airbrushed skin--it's an image meticulously constructed for public consumption. Curator: Exactly! How do you think that the subject’s identity intersects with societal expectations of masculinity and class in the late 19th century? Is there something performative about this portrait? Editor: It feels like this image, and likely others like it, created and perpetuated a standard for young, educated men. Something both aspirational and restricting. I hadn’t considered how photography itself could shape those expectations. Curator: Indeed. Notman's portrait serves as a fascinating lens through which to consider the constraints and aspirations of late 19th-century identities. Editor: I agree, there is much more than initially meets the eye.