[Two Unidentified Men] 1843 - 1847

"Two Unidentified Men" is a calotype photograph taken by the Scottish photographic partnership Hill & Adamson between 1843 and 1847, now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The image captures two men in sharp detail, their faces and clothing clearly rendered in the early photographic process. The photograph is a testament to the artistic potential of the calotype, a process that allowed for detailed images with a soft, almost painterly quality. This work, along with Hill and Adamson's other portraits, helped establish photography as a legitimate art form in the 19th century.