Portret van een onbekende baby 1873 - 1885

This is Albert Alfred Warnery's 'Portret van een onbekende baby', an undated carte-de-visite. These small photographs were widely popular in the mid-19th century, at a time when photography was becoming more accessible, yet still retained an aura of prestige. Looking at this image, I can’t help but think about how portraiture has historically been a tool for constructing and reinforcing social hierarchies. The act of commissioning a photograph was often reserved for those with the means to do so, thereby excluding many from visual representation. This is an image of a baby whose identity is now unknown, yet they were likely dressed in their best for the occasion. I wonder about the socio-economic circumstances of the family; what did it mean to have your child captured in this new, modern way? The baby’s serious expression makes me reflect on the emotional weight carried by these objects. They speak to the desire for remembrance and the construction of personal and collective histories. The history of photography is one of inclusion, but also one of exclusion, shaping whose stories are told and remembered.