Portret van een zittende jongen in matrozenpak 1875 - 1881

Christian Theodor Kirch made this photograph of a seated boy in a sailor suit, sometime in the late 19th century. The sailor suit became fashionable for children in the 1840s, after Queen Victoria dressed her son in one. What does it mean that this child is dressed in this way, and photographed in a studio setting, posed in a decorative chair? We might consider the rise of the middle class in Europe at this time, and the new emphasis on childhood as a distinct phase of life. Families had more disposable income and could afford to spend money on their children's clothing and portraits. The institutions of photography studios helped to shape social norms. Photographs like this one offer us a glimpse into the past, but it takes historical research to understand the social and cultural context that shaped them. Looking at sources such as fashion magazines, family albums, and studio records can help us to understand the world in which this image was made and consumed.