Portret van Gustaf Kinmansson 1860 - 1880

This photograph of Gustaf Kinmansson was created by Jenny Roos, a Swedish photographer active in the late 19th century. The collodion process, used here, was revolutionary. Glass plates were coated with a light-sensitive emulsion, exposed in the camera, and then developed. It was a finicky process, but allowed for multiple prints from a single negative, spurring the rise of commercial photography and portrait studios. Consider the labor involved: preparing the chemicals, coating the plates, posing the sitter. Roos was a skilled professional, navigating both the technical demands and the social expectations of portraiture. Gustaf Kinmansson, frozen in time, embodies the era's aspirations. Photography democratized image-making, making portraits accessible to a wider public. No longer limited to the wealthy who could afford painted portraits, the burgeoning middle class could participate in visual culture. Appreciating photography’s history means acknowledging the complex interplay of science, skill, and social change.