Untitled 1839 - 1899

This untitled ambrotype, a photograph on glass, encased in a decorative frame, presents a mid-19th century sitter of some affluence. The man in the portrait is captured in a formal pose, and the trappings of his class position are clear: his suit, vest, and bow tie. It's tempting to speculate about his identity and what he wants to communicate to us. The tools he holds suggest the man's trade. The tools are as important to his identity as his garments. The portrait can be read as a record of a life centered around labor and craft. The cracks and imperfections on the image's surface, the very materiality of the photograph, speak to the passage of time and the fragility of existence. Yet the portrait persists. It remains an effort to fix identity, to allow the gaze of the past to meet ours.