Portret van een onbekend meisje, aangeduid als Annie 1880 - 1900

This photograph of an unknown girl, referred to as Annie, was made by Hermanus Jodocus Weesing in Amsterdam. The photographic process involved coating a surface with light-sensitive chemicals, exposing it to light through a lens, and then developing the image. The sepia tone and soft focus, give this photograph a timeless quality, but the traces of the photographer’s hand in the choices of lighting, pose, and the girl's adornments offer insight into the culture of photography at that time. The very act of sitting for a photograph suggests a certain level of social standing. In that era, photography was a deliberate process, not the ubiquitous, instantaneous practice it is today. The girl's clothing, though simple, indicates that she has been carefully prepared for the gaze of the camera. The photograph, as an artifact of material culture, can be seen as a testament to the history of photographic innovation and its role in shaping social practices.