Commodore Foote (Charles W. Nestel) 1858 - 1869

Editor: This is “Commodore Foote (Charles W. Nestel),” an albumen print photograph taken sometime between 1858 and 1869 by Jeremiah Gurney. There's such seriousness etched onto the child’s face. What a formal, imposing portrait! It is almost comical, to me. What do you make of it? Curator: Isn't it fantastic? There’s an odd juxtaposition, I think. This miniature man, puffed up with importance... and yet undeniably, profoundly, vulnerable. Perhaps what strikes me most is how aware he seems of the performative aspect of being photographed. It’s so calculated, every tiny gesture. A valiant young man, but do we really think that he would pick up the sword? What a lovely prop, anyway! How about you? What’s your take? Editor: It's almost like he’s playing dress-up, but he’s doing it with the utmost conviction. What do you think about the setting itself? That draped backdrop, the ornate pedestal… Curator: Oh, the studio! They’re all so calculated, these carefully curated spaces designed to convey status and taste. Almost theatrical! It's all smoke and mirrors, isn’t it? Gurney was such a magician, playing with light and shadow. It almost feels like an oil painting instead of a photograph. What story do you think the artist was trying to tell? Or the parents? Editor: That’s a great point, because the parents had some role in deciding to dress up their son in military garb and go to a photography studio to immortalize this moment. Curator: Absolutely! He embodies the era’s obsession with not just recording reality, but staging it, embellishing it, imbuing it with symbolic weight. A true collaboration across time! I like thinking about it that way! Editor: This has certainly offered a fascinating perspective. The staging, the symbolism – so much to consider! Curator: Indeed! Now I might just look at old photographs in a brand new way. The story behind each picture seems so interesting now!