Robert E. M. Bain

Archive record

1 photograph : hand-colored print on card mount ; mount 17 x 11 cm (cabinet card format) | Photograph shows photographer Robert E. M. Bain standing, wearing uniform.

About this photograph

The photograph shows Robert E. M. Bain standing in uniform. It is a hand-colored cabinet card, a popular portrait format of the period, created by J. A. Scholten.

Studio portraiture held particular significance in Black communities during this era, when published depictions of African Americans were often derisive caricatures. Sitting for a formal portrait was a deliberate assertion of dignity and social standing. Black-owned studios existed in many cities to serve clients whom white establishments frequently refused or treated dismissively.

The fact that Bain is named in this record is itself notable. Catalogue records from this period commonly left Black subjects unidentified while recording the names of white sitters, so when a name was preserved it reflected choices made by the photographer, the sitter's family, or later archivists rather than any standard practice.

Compiled from the catalogue record and reference notes on the formats and events involved. The archive record above is the primary source.

About the format

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