Pasfoto van Marie Witsen-Schorr c. 1860 - 1915

Curator: This is a photograph entitled "Pasfoto van Marie Witsen-Schorr," dating approximately from 1860 to 1915. It is executed in the medium of photography. What are your immediate impressions? Editor: Stark. And strangely…unvarnished. Look at the subtle textures picked up by the lens. Not prettified, just...there. Honest, almost confrontational, yet reserved. Curator: It's the very essence of realism. What’s interesting, to me, is imagining the materiality of that early photographic paper. Were the photos from the 1860s printed differently than in the early 1900s? Did the developing process leave different material traces? How would that reflect in its physical appearance? Editor: Good point, it would certainly reflect changes in manufacturing processes. One can almost smell the chemicals in the darkroom just looking at this, feel the weight of the glass plate negative...the labor! The quiet, considered choices to frame, expose, develop this particular print. Curator: It evokes such intimacy, despite being a seemingly straightforward portrait. The quality of light and shadow feels deliberate and timeless. Is she a beloved aunt, stern but fair, who kept photo albums full of her beloved friends and family, whose presence is evoked and brought to life? I want to know her story. Editor: The sitter’s plain dark garments and somber bearing suggest something of the period's attitudes towards female visibility in society, as if trying to become invisible or simply, to avoid notice or judgment...And yet the presence is strong! Look at those hands—clasped but not weakened, in a composed way. Curator: Right! I think this small photo packs a surprisingly emotional punch. A lovely testament, capturing the depth and complexities within a face. Editor: A moment meticulously wrought in chemicals and light, carefully preserved, asking us to look and, hopefully, learn. Fascinating how material conditions meet with expressive vision.