Groepsportret van een familie met een opengeslagen fotoalbum op tafel c. 1887 - 1904

Editor: Here we have a gelatin silver print from somewhere between 1887 and 1904; a family group portrait, snapped by Eduard Donkersloot. There's a formal stiffness to it all, everyone posed just so… a little melancholy too. What do you see here? Curator: Oh, that's a photograph brimming with stories! For me, it’s all about the careful composition – everyone arranged like actors on a tiny stage, staring so intently... There's an undeniable performative element; the family presents themselves a certain way for posterity. Did you notice how they are gazing into an open photo album? Editor: I did! It looks as if they’re looking at images of themselves – or of family long past. Curator: Exactly! Think about what it meant to have a photograph taken at that time. It wasn’t the everyday occurrence it is now. The stiff formality reflects that. You'd choose every detail, from attire to pose. What impression do you think they’re trying to make? Editor: Solidity. Importance, maybe? Especially the father, in uniform. It does make you wonder about the photos in the album – were they hoping to measure up? Curator: It makes me wonder too. This makes the whole family feel so tangible. Like echoes we can almost reach out and touch. Family is everything, in the here and the hereafter. Editor: So it's both a present image and a meditation on the past, simultaneously? Curator: Yes, very nicely put! The past, present and future hopes and dreams all frozen within that single exposure. Editor: I never considered all of those layers; thanks for that!