Fotomontage van vier portretten van onbekende mannen met een illustratie door W.T. Whitehead before 1894

Harold Baker created this photogravure book illustration titled "Fotomontage van vier portretten van onbekende mannen met een illustratie door W.T. Whitehead" sometime between 1860 and 1942. These images are sourced from an era that saw photography transform from a niche practice into a burgeoning industry. These posed portraits with elaborate beards evoke the visual culture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a time when photography was deeply intertwined with constructing and preserving social identities. The subjects, framed by an ornate decorative illustration, seem to embody a sense of dignity and respectability. However, the rigid formality of these images also speaks to the limited and often class-bound ways in which people could represent themselves during this period. Baker's work invites us to reflect on how photography has historically been used to both affirm and constrain our understanding of identity. We see the subjects through the lens of a specific historical moment, one which offers an emotionally complex view of portraiture and representation.