Twee mannen in fauteuils in een legerkamp te Fontainebleau 1896

This photograph, titled 'Two Men in Armchairs in a Military Camp at Fontainebleau' was captured by Delizy. At first glance, the image may seem like a simple snapshot, but its social implications are rich. The collodion process, used to produce the print, enabled the democratization of photography. It was more accessible and reproducible than earlier photographic methods. Here, we see two men of obvious means, relaxed in a military camp. One is smoking a pipe, the other reading, both in a comfortable chair. The material reality of the camp, the tent made from heavy canvas, serves as a backdrop to their leisure. The act of sitting for a photograph, once a mark of status, was becoming more common, yet the evident comfort these men enjoy speaks to the hierarchies of the time. It’s a pointed moment, where the supposed rigors of military life are softened by privilege. This photograph reminds us that even in what seems like a straightforward representation, materials and making are always tied to wider social dynamics.