Portrait of a Bottle Corker
Medium
albumen print (carte-de-visite)
Dimensions
image/sheet: 8.4 × 5.4 cm (3 5/16 × 2 1/8 in.) mount: 10.1 × 6.2 cm (4 × 2 7/16 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
The Ross J. Kelbaugh Collection
Accession Number
2023.146.99
Art Historical Context
Step into the 1860s with *Portrait of a Bottle Cork*, a charming carte-de-visite photograph capturing an anonymous American worker from this vibrant era. Produced as an albumen print—a technique where egg whites coated paper to create sharp, luminous images—this tiny portrait (just 8.4 × 5.4 cm) exemplifies the explosion of photography during the Civil War years. These pocket-sized "visiting cards" were all the rage, affordable souvenirs exchanged like business cards, democratizing portraiture for everyday folks beyond the elite. The subject's occupation as a bottle corker highlights a slice ...
About the Artist
American 19th Century
The artist cataloged as "American, 19th Century" represents a collective of unidentified painters active in the United States during the nineteenth century, with 380 known artworks preserved in this virtual museum's collection. These works span a diverse array of genres typical of the era, including portraits, landscapes, still lifes, and genre scenes, reflecting the burgeoning artistic output of ...