Twee fotoreproducties van de doopakten van Lucien Bonaparte en Napoleon Bonaparte before 1890

Editor: So, this is "Twee fotoreproducties van de doopakten van Lucien Bonaparte en Napoleon Bonaparte," dating from before 1890. They are photographic reproductions, in ink on paper. I’m struck by the presentation, like a spread from a book. What catches your eye about it? Curator: Well, as a materialist, I'm immediately drawn to the photographic process itself. Think about the labor involved in creating these reproductions *before* 1890. Photography wasn't as simple as snapping a picture. Each print would have been a delicate, handcrafted object, meant to preserve something considered valuable enough to reproduce. Editor: So, it's not just about the Bonapartes, but about how information was disseminated and preserved at the time? Curator: Exactly! Consider the social context: why reproduce these baptismal records? Who was the intended audience? Was it for historical documentation, or something else entirely? Maybe a kind of personal documentation that reflected one's ascent to power, thus solidifying that the figure's story must be remembered through generations. Editor: I see what you mean. I hadn’t considered the choice of photography as a deliberate decision with implications about labor and social value. It also seems like they are trying to "authenticate" history with photographic documents. Curator: Indeed. What do you think this aged quality suggests about this historical moment or process? Editor: That it shows its age through the material of time, and acts as a sort of timestamp. Thanks, I think I get it.