UNDATED – Portrait of an old man, taken by Lorenz Hansen in Kappeln, Germany. © by Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com/Photo: Lorenz Hansen
The story behind the image
The other day I acquired this cabinet photo showing the portrait of an old man. It was shot by Lorenz Hansen in Kappeln, Germany, around the year 1900. This is the only contextual information that I’ve got – there are no notes on the back. The fact that this is a large cabinet photo (ca. 11 x 17 cm) indicates that the man could afford such a prestigious photo. From the Billström rate chart we know that cabinet photos were about four times as expensive as CdV photos – without improvements to the content (other than the size.) So, the man on the photo might have been a wealthy man, or at least financially settled.
I like the image for several reasons.
Firstly, the man looks far from being worn out or old. He might have been 55 to 65 years olds when the photo was taken, but the beard makes him look several years older. Shave off the beard, and he could easily be just 45 years, but these beards were not uncommon in those days. He looks directly into the camera with a confident look, not sceptical or shy. There is a certain power that emerges from his look. I think he could have been a merchant, a lawyer, a teacher, maybe a successful business owner.
Secondly, the photo is of exceptional technical quality.
- The focus has been nailed exactly on the eyes. The narrow depth of field blurs the hairs of the beard ever so slightly, including the front of the jacket as well as his ears and shoulders.
- The background is evenly illuminated with just a hint of a shadow showing in the lower left corner. The shape of the man, however, seems to be slightly enhanced by a well feathered contrast. This effect is not too obvious and does not look like a halo at all.
- The entire image is well exposed using the full scale of gray tones. Fine details of the fabric are visible even in the shadows of the jacket.
It’s really a joy to inspect and watch this image.
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The photographer
Lorenz Peter Hansen was born in 1857 in Branderup (Denmark). He married Clara Margareta Maria Amter in 1888. They had at least three daughters: Charlotte Marie (born 1889), Else Helene Marie (born 1891), and Ester Emma Bertha (born 1900).
Hansen became the encumbent photographer of Kappeln, Germany, a small town that had been serving the region as a commercial center for ages. Hansen had been working as a photographer since the 1880s and had won a first photography prize in 1893 in Hildesheim in Lower Saxonia, Germany. He expanded his portrait work with landscape photos that he published as cabinet photos.
Lorenz Hansen died on the 29th April 1910 in Kappeln at the age of just 52 years.
Design ideas
The high resolution image
| Capture Date | c. 1900 |
| Photographer | Lorenz Hansen |
| Location | Kappeln, Germany |
| Image Source | 10.2 x 13.8 cm black & white cabinet photo |
| Digital Image Source | EPSON Perfection 4870 Photo |
| Digital Image Source Format | TIFF, 48 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Format | JPEG, 24 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Dimensions | 9543 x 13032 Pixels |
| Copyright | © by Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com/Photo: L. Hansen |
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