Mip Pateman 1869 - 1874

This photograph of Mip Pateman was taken by Jeremiah Gurney in New York, most likely in the 1860s or 70s. Gurney was one of the leading portrait photographers in the United States at that time. In this image, we can observe how photography was being used to create and disseminate images of women that reflected and reinforced the social ideals of the time. Pateman is adorned with pearls and lace, visual signifiers of wealth and respectability. She is also presented with a soft, almost ethereal light, further idealizing her. Photography in the mid-19th century played a significant role in shaping public perception of women. It helped to create and circulate images of ideal womanhood. Examining photographers' records and the diaries of their sitters, we can begin to reconstruct the complex interplay between social expectations, artistic choices, and individual agency in shaping these enduring images.