Portret van een man met verschillende glazen en bekers in de hand c. 1865 - 1880

Editor: So, this is "Portrait of a man with various glasses and beakers in his hand", a gelatin silver print photograph from somewhere around 1865 to 1880, attributed to Albert Lüssow. I'm struck by how staged it feels, but also, oddly revealing of labor. What do you see here? Curator: I see the material conditions of photographic production. This isn’t just about documenting a man, it's about the technology, the silver, the gelatin, and the specific, deliberate choices made in the darkroom. How are these materials being used to shape not just an image, but also our perception of work and leisure? Editor: Interesting! It's easy to miss that focus. I was initially caught up in the, maybe performative, depiction of serving or hosting. You’re suggesting that focusing on the materials themselves reveals more about the context? Curator: Exactly. The choice of a gelatin silver print speaks to the era's technological advancements and how these innovations transformed photographic practices, impacting both accessibility and the aesthetics of representation. Furthermore, what's being shown and how is linked directly to available production. It brings up questions about labor practices in studios during that period. Who was producing these photographs and for whom? Editor: Right, I hadn't considered the labor *behind* the image itself. How the accessibility of the medium reflects larger socio-economic trends of labor at that moment. Curator: Consider also the composition; the glasses and beakers, typical drinking objects used to consume ale or beer at the time, emphasize labor and consumption. It points towards a emerging market created for photographic images depicting everyday life for the growing middle class during the industrial era. Editor: This gives me a lot to think about - shifting the focus from the subject *in* the photograph, to how the *photograph itself* became a manufactured commodity. Thanks! Curator: Precisely! Seeing it in this context reveals the crucial role that the image plays within the culture surrounding material culture.