Dan Marks
History of Modern Europe

 
Photography as a Modern Social Force

Photography in 19th century France not only reflected the social climate of the time but also became an important tool in making the privileges of the aristocracy accessible to the new middle class. It can be seen as an equalizing force in French society. Photographs became status symbols that made people feel important.

Painted portraiture, until the advent of the daguerreotype, was a luxury only affordable to the aristocracy. The daguerreotype offered an alternative to expensive painted portraits and gave the middle class equal access to a status symbol that previously had only been available to the upper class. In this way photography served to democratize portraiture and helped to narrow the gap between the classes.

With the cartes de visite, even the working class and peasants could afford to have their likenesses reproduced. Since these portraits were done in a formal tradition, they rendered people in all classes in similar ways.

Maxime Du Camp. Sphinx, 1850[10]

People also began creating photography collections with pictures taken from all around the world, as seen in Maxime Du Camp's photograph of the Sphinx above. In the modern 19th century society, people were finally being able to separate work from their personal lives, and with this, they gained leisure time. With this leisure time, they had the time to relax in their homes and tour the world through their new and expanding collection of exotic photographs. In this sense, photography can be seen as a modern device.
 

[10] 1996, TourEgypt.net, < http://www.touregypt.net/historicalessays/sphinxa6.htm>