Portret van een staand meisje in communiejurk met boek in de hand 1868 - 1900

This is a photograph by Hermanus Jodocus Weesing depicting a girl in her communion dress. Though photographs are often seen as straightforward depictions, it is important to consider the processes that give them form. The albumen print process, popular when this picture was made, required coating paper with a mix of egg white and chemicals, then exposing it to light through a negative. The resulting sepia tones give the image a soft, almost dreamlike quality. Consider the labor involved. From preparing the chemicals to posing the subject and carefully printing the final image, photography in the 19th century was a complex and skilled craft. While it democratized portraiture to some extent, it also created new forms of work and consumption. By paying attention to the materials and processes of photography, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the social and cultural context in which images like this were made.