Untitled (bust length portrait of man with moustache labeled J. J. Myers, '75) 1874 - 1875

Editor: This is an untitled portrait of a man with a fantastic mustache, taken by William Notman in 1875. It has such a formal, almost stoic feel to it. What strikes you when you look at this image? Curator: Oh, he looks like he's about to explain the intricacies of handlebar mustache wax! I see a carefully constructed identity, a deliberate performance for the camera. The oval framing softens the image, don't you think? It's like a peep into a bygone era. Editor: It really is! I never thought about the framing that way. Curator: It makes you wonder what J. J. Myers was like, doesn't it? What stories that mustache could tell!