Portret van een jonge vrouw, zittend aan een tafel 1879

Here's a portrait of a young woman made with albumen print by Walter Mudford. The albumen print process, which was popular in the 19th century, involves coating paper with egg white and silver nitrate. The image is then created through exposure to light, resulting in a sepia tone that we see here. What's particularly interesting is the way this photographic method democratized portraiture. Before photography, having your portrait painted was a luxury only afforded by the wealthy. But with albumen prints, it became possible for a broader range of people to have their likeness captured. The amount of labor involved in creating each print is also noteworthy. From preparing the paper to carefully controlling the exposure and development, it was a time-consuming process. While not exactly mass-produced, the albumen print allowed for a certain level of replication, a sign of the increasingly industrialized world. So next time you look at this portrait, consider how the materials and making processes contribute to its cultural significance.