Perhaps a Hidden Mother?

Alice Curtis

$24.99

  • Description

Alright, guys. It's pretty clear that the infant isn't the only person in this image. This particular baby picture seems to be a remnant of the Hidden Mother style of photography. During photography's early years, cameras required a subject to stay still for 30 seconds or even a few minutes. This was hard for infants to achieve, so mothers would hold their babies to keep them still. In order to insure that the baby would be the sole subject of the portrait, mothers would sometimes be hidden or covered. This particular portrait appears to be one such image. Hidden mothers can be found in children's portraits dating through the 1910s, and you can read more about this trend in Linda Fregni Nagler's book, "The Hidden Mother."

  • Description

Alright, guys. It's pretty clear that the infant isn't the only person in this image. This particular baby picture seems to be a remnant of the Hidden Mother style of photography. During photography's early years, cameras required a subject to stay still for 30 seconds or even a few minutes. This was hard for infants to achieve, so mothers would hold their babies to keep them still. In order to insure that the baby would be the sole subject of the portrait, mothers would sometimes be hidden or covered. This particular portrait appears to be one such image. Hidden mothers can be found in children's portraits dating through the 1910s, and you can read more about this trend in Linda Fregni Nagler's book, "The Hidden Mother."