Philippines, circa 1875
by Francisco van Camp

With a title that translates as ‘Native of the Upper Class’, this image provides the opportunity to glimpse a sliver of traditional 19th century Filipino society. Taken by the Dutch photographer Francisco van Camp, who was well known in the Philippines for his extremely refined portrait shots, this photograph, of a woman with an almost other-worldly grace, well deserves the attribution one of the most beautiful images in nineteenth-century photography.»