Portret van een peuter op een stoel c. 1890 - 1910

This cabinet card, titled "Portret van een peuter op een stoel" was created by W.G. Kuijer & Zonen. During the late 19th century, photography became a powerful tool for constructing and preserving social identity. Here, we see a toddler, likely from a middle-class family, posed formally in a studio setting. Note the expensive looking chair she sits on, and the dress that she is wearing. These portraits reflect the values of the time, emphasizing respectability, and familial pride. Images like this one were often displayed in homes, reinforcing the family's status and memorializing its members. The simple act of sitting for a portrait became a ritual, embedding the subject within a visual narrative of belonging and aspiration. Think about what it might have been like for this toddler to sit still long enough to have her photograph taken. This photograph preserves a moment in time, inviting us to reflect on the social rituals that shape our understanding of self and family.