Portret van een jongeman 1880 - 1910

This portrait of a young man was captured by Adolf Neumann, a photographer working at Hutfilter Street 43. Studio photography like this one became increasingly common in the late 19th and early 20th centuries across Europe and North America. Photography democratized portraiture, making it accessible to the middle classes, not just the aristocracy. The rise of commercial photography studios coincided with a growing interest in individual identity and social mobility. Photographers like Neumann weren't just technicians; they were also entrepreneurs, responding to and shaping the desires of their clientele. This image, with its formal composition and emphasis on respectability, reflects the values of the era. To fully understand a photograph like this, we delve into archival records, genealogical databases, and period newspapers. By reconstructing the social and institutional context, we can interpret this image not just as a personal likeness, but as a cultural artifact embedded in its time.