Group on Porch 1860s

Egbert Guy Fowx took this albumen silver print, titled 'Group on Porch' sometime in the 19th century. What can this image tell us about America at the time? The carefully arranged figures on the porch suggest a society that valued order and social standing. Photography was increasingly common, and the way people posed for these portraits reveals a self-conscious awareness of how they wanted to be seen by the public. The porch, a liminal space between the private home and the outside world, acts as a stage upon which social identities are performed. As art historians, we might explore this further by looking into photographic manuals of the period. These resources would help us understand the techniques and conventions that photographers and their sitters followed. Studying the architecture and fashion of the time would also provide us with insights into the social and economic status of the people in this photograph. This kind of social and institutional context allows us to understand it beyond a simple snapshot.