Untitled (Portrait of a Standing Circus Performer) 1855

Jesse Harrison Whitehurst created this portrait of a circus performer using the daguerreotype process, a very early form of photography. This image comes to us from a time of great social and technological change in America. There’s something both intimate and performative in this image. The circus performer, with his checkered trousers and cap, strikes a confident pose. The daguerreotype was a new medium, one that democratized portraiture, yet here it’s being used to capture someone who makes a living from performance. It raises questions about identity and representation. How much of the sitter's true self is revealed, and how much is a constructed persona? The rise of popular entertainment like the circus provided new roles and identities outside traditional social structures. This photograph offers a glimpse into the life of someone who occupies a unique place in society, one who lives outside the ordinary. What does it mean to capture an individual whose identity is built on spectacle and skill?