[W.F. Woodington] 1860s

This is an albumen silver print of W.F. Woodington by John and Charles Watkins. The Watkins brothers were portrait photographers in London during a time when photography was just beginning to take hold as a popular form of documentation. Looking at Woodington's portrait, we might consider how the relatively new medium of photography offered new modes of representation. How did the burgeoning middle classes engage with photography to declare their social status? Woodington's slight upward glance presents him as a figure of importance, and the photograph itself, taken by successful photographers, would have been a signifier of wealth. While the photograph may seem straightforward, consider how this image might have served to construct and solidify social identities during a period of significant social change. It invites us to reflect on the historical relationship between photography, identity, and social class.