Abstract
Looking through the photographic archives at the National Media Museum at images of babies, revealed that most photographers and parents aimed to portray the baby in a romantic and idealized fashion. Most of these images are heavily influenced by the iconic Christian paintings of Mary and the baby Jesus. They depict the mother as carer and emphasize the bond between the mother and child. I could find very little representation of fathers in early childcare. Why? Has the sheer weight of religious representation suffocated the development of an alternative, or is it because the majority of painters/photographers are men? Even when I researched portraits of babies by women photographers, this stereotypical/traditional depiction of mother and child was reinforced.
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