Gezicht op de Boulevard van Scheveningen, met links het Kurhaus before 1891

Editor: We are looking at "Gezicht op de Boulevard van Scheveningen, met links het Kurhaus" a photographic print by Römmler & Jonas made sometime before 1891. It’s an albumen print, a popular medium at the time, showing a view of a beachside resort. I’m struck by how much activity is captured – tiny figures along the shore. What’s your take on this image? Curator: It’s interesting to consider the material reality behind this idealized image. Albumen prints like this were mass-produced, often used for tourist souvenirs. Look at the crisp detail afforded by the process – the texture of the sand, the architecture of the Kurhaus. Photography at this time wasn’t just about artistic expression; it was about creating and distributing images as commodities. How does that change how you read this image? Editor: I hadn't really considered the production side, it's made me realise how staged this photo could be. So much of it looks idyllic in its uniformity. Could this be showing more than just a seascape, perhaps some commentary on social class or urbanisation at the time? Curator: Absolutely. Consider who would be buying these prints. The burgeoning middle class, eager to display their travels and experiences. This image functions as both a record of a place and an aspiration. It signifies leisure, and access – who had the time and money to visit Scheveningen, let alone buy a photograph of it? Editor: That gives a fresh perspective. It isn't as simple as I first assumed. Curator: Exactly! By focusing on the materiality – the albumen print itself, the means of its production and circulation – we can unpack layers of social and economic meaning embedded within this seemingly straightforward landscape. It becomes an artefact ripe with cultural information. Editor: I see that now! I hadn't thought about the photo *as* object, instead of just the image it projects. Thanks.