[Man] 1843 - 1847

Editor: This daguerreotype, simply titled “[Man],” was captured sometime between 1843 and 1847 by Hill and Adamson. There’s a melancholy air about it, and I’m struck by the soft, almost dreamlike quality of the light. What stands out to you in this portrait? Curator: It whispers of a different era, doesn't it? I feel drawn to the subject's inward gaze, like he's contemplating the mysteries of time itself, or perhaps the struggles of existence, a very Romantic sentiment indeed. This technique also stands out – you know, early photography was as much alchemy as science! The sitter needed to be perfectly still, which adds to this still, pensive atmosphere. Do you think this stillness serves to create an introspective experience for the viewer, even now? Editor: Absolutely! It’s like peeking into a frozen moment of someone’s life. This calm atmosphere almost has a religious quality, like a painting of Jesus, with this quiet calm, though his dress is very ordinary, and his accessoire – the stick – less so. How does it speak to the art of portraiture for you? Curator: Photography was revolutionary in its time, of course! It threatened painting but also, as you note, echoed some artistic expressions that preceeded its discovery. Instead of painting, a camera was now able to quickly record a person, or try to capture the inner self, or project what they would want to show. It's a curious blend of the scientific and the artistic. Early photography still maintained pictorial conventions borrowed from painting, however. Does it perhaps make you think of a novel? The quiet hero whose story you want to know? Editor: Definitely. He could be any character from a Bronte novel! Thank you; I really appreciate your perspective on this. Curator: It was my pleasure. Thinking about those long exposures, of capturing light to fix someone on film for over a hundred years… it really stirs the imagination, doesn’t it?