Portret van een onbekende vrouw 1902 - 1908

This is a photographic print of an unknown woman, made by E. v.d. Kerkhoff, a Dutch photographer active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Photography, even from its outset, was always about volume production. While the earliest photographic processes were painstaking, requiring careful preparation of glass plates, the later adoption of gelatin silver prints – as seen here – allowed for easier reproduction. And think about the social context: the rise of photography corresponded with the growth of the middle class. The ease and relative affordability of this medium created an unprecedented demand for portraiture. Consider, the woman depicted here may have wanted to project a certain status, her garments and jewelry carefully chosen to convey respectability. Photographic studios like Kerkhoff's became important sites for constructing and disseminating social identities. The photograph is more than just an image; it's a material artifact that speaks to broader shifts in technology, labor, and self-representation.