Portret van een onbekende vrouw met kind op schoot c. 1855 - 1870

This portrait of an unknown woman and child is a photograph, likely made in the mid-19th century by an itinerant photographer named Cave. Photographs like this one were not simply images, but objects, produced through a complex interplay of chemistry and craft. The process began with a silver-plated copper sheet, meticulously cleaned and sensitized to light with iodine fumes. Exposed in a camera, the plate captured a latent image, brought to life through mercury vapor development. Finally, it was fixed and sealed under glass. Consider the labor involved: from mining the silver to the precision required in each step. The gold frame adds another layer of value, a decorative touch that elevates the image. The photograph would have been a treasured possession, a symbol of familial pride and social standing. By understanding the material processes involved, we appreciate not only the image itself, but also the social and economic context in which it was made.