Portret van een meisje met halsketting 1870 - 1890

This small portrait was created by P. Vlaanderen & C. van der Aa. It’s a photographic print, carefully mounted within an album page. What might seem like a straightforward image of a girl is actually a complex negotiation between art, craft, and the burgeoning industrial processes of photography. In the 19th century, studios like Vlaanderen & van der Aa were essentially factories, employing skilled technicians to operate cameras, mix chemicals, and meticulously print and mount photographs. Consider the labor involved: from posing the sitter to developing the image, each step demanded precision. The photograph’s sepia tone, the texture of the paper, and the ornate frame all contribute to its value as a crafted object, a treasured memento within a family album. Looking closely, we can see the marks of its making, and consider the photograph not just as a picture, but as a product of its time, reflecting the changing landscape of labor, technology, and social status.