Portret van John B. Smith before 1873

Here we see William H. Schurch's photographic portrait of John B. Smith bound within the pages of a book. The figure's direct gaze and formal attire, codified symbols of dignity and status, remind us of similar portraits across centuries. We can trace this motif to ancient Roman busts, where the patrician's stern visage projected authority. Now, consider the beard, carefully trimmed. Beards have carried diverse meanings, from wisdom to virility. Think of depictions of philosophers, or even the wild beards of Dionysus's followers. In Smith’s time, the beard signified respectability. Yet, such symbols are never static. They evolve, are challenged, and sometimes, their meanings are inverted. Collective memory subtly guides these shifts. The portrait serves as a cultural artifact, a visual anchor to a time and place, inviting us to explore the ever-shifting tapestry of symbols.