Portret van een meisje in witte jurk, staand op een stoel 1873 - 1891

This is a portrait of a girl in a white dress standing on a chair, made by Johannes Baer. Photographs such as this one were often made using the albumen print process, where paper is coated with egg white and a silver solution, then exposed to light through a negative. The resulting image has a soft, sepia tone and a high level of detail, visible even in this very small print. The photograph represents a shift in the way people saw themselves, as it captures a child in a seemingly unposed moment. The rise of photography coincided with the emergence of consumer culture, where manufactured goods became increasingly accessible. Photography democratized portraiture, a domain once reserved for the wealthy, becoming a cherished possession for families to document and commemorate their loved ones. Photographs like this one provide a fascinating glimpse into the past and remind us of the importance of images in shaping our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.