Portret van een man met snor 1863 - 1901

This is a portrait of a man with a mustache made by Johannes Hendrikus Kramer using a photographic process. Photography, invented in the 19th century, changed portraiture forever. It democratized image-making, allowing a wider range of people to access it. Before, only the wealthy could afford to commission painted portraits. This photograph, likely a silver gelatin print, would have been more affordable to produce than a painting, expanding access to portraiture. Consider the labor involved in creating this image. Kramer, the photographer, would have needed technical skill and specialized knowledge of chemistry and optics. The sitter, dressed in a suit with a carefully groomed mustache, presents a specific image of himself, reflecting aspirations of middle-class respectability. The photograph's small size suggests it may have been part of an album, intended for personal remembrance. So while the creation and consumption of photographs like this were tied to emergent capitalist economies, they also had a strong social function, solidifying family and community bonds.