Gezelschap dat blindemannetje speelt c. 1850 - 1880

James Elliott created this stereoscopic photograph, “Gezelschap dat blindemannetje speelt”, or “Company playing blind man's bluff”, sometime in the mid-to-late 19th century. As photography became more accessible, it captured both posed portraits and scenes of everyday life, reflecting and shaping societal norms and values. This photograph depicts a group, seemingly middle-class, engaged in a parlor game, with a man blindfolded in the center. This image is interesting because of its depiction of domestic leisure and social interaction. It highlights the gendered dynamics within the home, showing women and girls surrounding the blindfolded man. What are their roles? Are they challenging or reinforcing societal expectations through this playful interaction? The photograph freezes a moment of laughter and suspense, a snapshot of a culture defined by both its rituals and its unspoken rules. Through this staged domestic tableau, Elliott invites us to consider the dynamics of social play and the subtle negotiations of power, gender, and identity within the Victorian home.