Untitled (Portrait of a Boy Holding a Hat) 1854

This portrait of a boy holding a hat was produced by George H. Johnson using the daguerreotype process. Made sometime in the mid-19th century, this photographic image reflects a period when the burgeoning middle class was eager to emulate the styles and manners of the aristocracy. The sitter is wearing a decorative cravat and rests his hand nonchalantly in his pocket. Though photography was becoming more widespread, portraiture still remained an event. How might a historian better understand the social dynamics of the portrait studio at this time? Original business records of photography studios, newspaper advertisements, and diaries of sitters can tell us much more about the social conditions in which art is made. In this way, we can understand how art reflects the values, aspirations, and even the anxieties of its age.