Album Photographie 1856

This is Eduard Isaac Asser’s photographic album, an object made with paper, cardboard, and leather. At first glance, the album’s cover, with its central cartouche, brings to mind the tradition of classical bookbinding. But let us delve deeper. This cartouche, an ornamental frame often oval or oblong, and bearing an inscription or coat-of-arms, is more than a mere decoration. The cartouche can be traced back to ancient Egypt, where it enclosed the names of pharaohs, protecting them and declaring their eternal existence. It then re-emerges throughout history in different forms. The very act of framing—of enclosing and preserving—speaks to our deep-seated desire to hold onto moments, to immortalize them against the relentless flow of time. It is a testament to the enduring power of images. This album, therefore, becomes a vessel of collective memory, inviting us to partake in a timeless human endeavor.