Portret van een zittende baby in wit jurkje 1901 - 1904

Editor: Here we have "Portret van een zittende baby in wit jurkje," a portrait of a seated baby in a white dress made between 1901 and 1904 by Spencer & Wilson. It is a gelatin silver print. The contrast between the soft fur the baby is seated on, and their sharp expression is what caught my eye first. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: For me, it begins with that gelatin silver print itself. Consider the materials and labor involved. Photographing a baby at the turn of the century wasn't as simple as snapping a quick picture; there's a whole process to unpacking. The act of capturing a child, keeping them still, setting the exposure; that's labor. Think about the cultural expectations of children at this time, of cleanliness and proper appearance – who was doing the work of laundering this immaculate white dress, placing this baby 'just so'? How does this inform our understanding of turn-of-the-century childhood and class? Editor: That’s interesting, I hadn't really considered all of that, focusing instead on the baby as a symbol. It is definitely more than a simple portrait when considering the work to produce the image itself. Curator: Exactly. By focusing on the labor and the means of production, we begin to see photography, not as some kind of art separate from material reality, but enmeshed within systems of labor, care, and social status. It becomes far more layered. Editor: That makes a lot of sense. Thank you for expanding my thinking on this. Now I see the work and labour as well as the person depicted. Curator: It’s been a pleasure exploring this photograph’s process and context with you!