Het paard Bobbie met man aan teugel c. 1896

Hendrik Herman van den Berg made this photograph of a horse named Bobbie and his handler using the gelatin silver process. This method, dominant from the 1880s onward, involved coating a glass or film base with a light-sensitive emulsion of silver halides suspended in gelatin. Consider the social context of this image. Photography, once a laborious and expensive process, had become increasingly accessible thanks to industrial production. The rise of amateur photography coincided with a growing fascination with animals, particularly horses, and a romanticized vision of rural life. This image captures a moment of quiet dignity, as Bobbie and his handler stand patiently before the camera. The gelatin silver process allowed for relatively quick exposure times and sharp detail, evident in the texture of the horse's coat and the handler's suit. While mass production democratized photography, skill remained essential in capturing a compelling image. This photograph represents the intersection of industrial technology and artistic vision, blurring the lines between commercial practice and fine art.