Portret van een man met snor, sik en vlinderstrik 1874 - 1887

This is a mounted albumen print of an unknown man, made by Albert Greiner in the late nineteenth century. Photography as an institution was still relatively young, and portraiture was becoming increasingly accessible to the middle classes. Consider the sitter's carefully cultivated moustache, goatee, and bow tie. These are visual markers of bourgeois masculinity in Europe at this time. The man’s formal attire and poised expression speak to a desire for social presentation and upward mobility. This image serves as a window into the aspirations and self-conceptions of a particular social class during a period of rapid change. Historical sources such as journals, newspapers, and studio records, can reveal more about the networks of portrait photographers like Greiner, and the clientele they served. By situating this photograph within its social and institutional context, we can better understand its role in shaping identities and social hierarchies.