Voor het plakboek 1875 - 1903

Curator: "Voor het Plakboek," or "For the Scrapbook," created by Jan de Haan sometime between 1875 and 1903, gives us a grid of colourful vignettes, a real treasure trove of late 19th-century scenes, printed on paper. My first thought is: nostalgia in neat little boxes! Editor: Yes! I feel like I’ve stumbled into someone’s cherished childhood memories. It's incredibly charming. It reminds me of those old-fashioned sampler stitchings but with delightful narratives instead of floral motifs. Curator: Absolutely! There's such a storybook quality to it all. I love the way each individual image functions like a little emblem of a simple pleasure or moral lesson. Take for instance the image of the two boys snowball fighting with what looks like a giant polar bear looming in the background, a potential symbol of the dangers of winter, and even recklessness! Editor: Good eye. Or consider how images of the camel are contrasted: in one instance a single dromedary, in another two boys menacing a white Bactrian. This play in presentation is, if nothing else, endlessly engaging. Notice too the many symbols of human dominion: the eagle shot from the sky, the horse and stag in human possession. This seems quite emblematic of its period. Curator: I think you nailed it! Given the title's implication of a 'scrapbook,' it could have been part of a larger pedagogical collection for children's education, perhaps? Editor: A fascinating idea. Beyond the specific scenes, it's worth noting that a print like this offers us a window into a particular era's ideals, its pastimes, and its perception of childhood itself. It's like a condensed cultural capsule. It has some real Japanese Ukiyo-e vibes as well! Curator: Now that you mention it, there is that clean, flat aesthetic to each illustration, so distinct! The past continues to resonate in images like these. Editor: Indeed, and thanks to prints like "Voor het Plakboek," the echo becomes that much louder!