Portret van Elihu Burritt met een knapzak before 1864

Curator: This is a photographic portrait of Elihu Burritt, captured by Elliott & Fry sometime before 1864, using the albumen print process. He's depicted with a coat, pack, and hat—the posture of someone very much on the go. Editor: My first thought? He looks a little… sad. The tones of the albumen print only enhance that feeling, and then I see he's got this bag slung over his shoulder like an old-time traveler. What kind of traveling man needs calling cards? Curator: Well, Elihu Burritt was a fascinating figure, more than just a traveler, you see. He was an American diplomat, philanthropist, and social activist known as the "Learned Blacksmith” and the 'Consul for Peace' He advocated universal postal systems and fought for various causes, making travel an essential part of his work. Editor: Ah, that makes the bag make sense! Albumen printing itself is intriguing. Egg whites being used to bind the image to the paper; can you think about the manual labor involved? Mass albumen prints really changed the photographic portrait business. Curator: Absolutely. And notice the lighting. The shadow accentuates a somber, maybe even a world-weary feeling in Burritt's eyes, but his upright posture shows resolve. Almost like he's carrying the weight of the world. I almost wonder where he was just walking. Editor: These studio shots usually hide as much labor, production, cost and time that they are meant to erase. Even in portraying someone dedicated to progress like Burritt, there are very concrete considerations of a social setting in motion: the making, materials, and consumption of imagery in motion. I find myself thinking about what an image like this really cost, or who got the photograph aside from his close acquaintance. Curator: And perhaps even consider what all the travelling for social reforms would cost? There's a tension there that this image nicely captures. So, maybe there's an air of solemnity; he surely understood that his image was bound for broader distribution with social progress. Editor: Yes, exactly. That's what keeps this from simply being a biographical curiosity. Thanks for bringing this to my attention! Curator: My pleasure. It's precisely that interplay between individual portrayal and broader societal implications that makes this such a compelling work.