Untitled (head shot of man with moustache labeled William Howard Annan, A.B. 1877) 1874 - 1877

Curator: This is an untitled portrait by William Notman, likely taken in the late 19th century. It depicts William Howard Annan. Editor: It has a strangely melancholy air. The sepia tones and the oval crop give it a sense of remove, as if we're peering into a forgotten past. Curator: Consider the materiality – the albumen print, the paper mount. These were mass-produced objects, studio photography democratizing portraiture. Notman's studios across Canada and the US made images accessible to a burgeoning middle class. Editor: And yet, access was limited by class, race, and gender. Who got to be seen, and how were they presented? This image speaks to the construction of an elite identity, Annan's education visible even in his portrait. Curator: Precisely. The studio stamp, "William Notman, Montreal, Toronto & Halifax," tells us about Notman's industrial approach and production network. Editor: A fascinating glimpse into the social and material conditions that shaped Victorian identity. Curator: Indeed, a moment captured through specific processes and power dynamics.