Groepsportret met een twintigtal jonge mannen en enkele katholieke priesters, op de voorgrond een bord met daarop geschreven: 'Late sejunctI concordia usque jungemur' 1878 - 1885

This group portrait of young men and Catholic priests, captured by August Rombaut, is a photograph, likely an albumen print, a process popular in the mid-19th century. These prints involve coating paper with albumen, derived from egg whites, creating a smooth surface for the photographic emulsion. The process, while seemingly simple, required considerable skill in preparing the paper and controlling exposure to achieve a clear image. The sepia tone, typical of albumen prints, comes from the silver salts used in the developing process. This was a labor-intensive process. The photograph's material and making are crucial to its social meaning. Photography at this time was increasingly accessible to a growing middle class, marking a shift in how people documented themselves and their communities. Group portraits like this one became a way for institutions, like this religious order, to present a formal image. The careful arrangement of the subjects and the formal attire speak to the social conventions and aspirations of the time. Paying attention to materials, making, and context, we can understand photography as more than just a visual record; it is an artifact embedded in the social and economic conditions of its time, challenging traditional art boundaries.