Portret van een onbekende baby 1892 - 1906

Editor: This is "Portret van een onbekende baby" – Portrait of an Unknown Baby – taken between 1892 and 1906 by Machiel Hendricus Laddé. It’s a gelatin-silver print. There’s a certain formality and stateliness to it. What strikes you about it? Curator: I’m immediately drawn to the way this image subtly reflects the social construction of childhood during that era. Photography like this, though seemingly innocent, became a tool to solidify ideals of purity and innocence onto children, especially girls. What’s often missed is how these very ideals served to control women’s roles and desires in later life. Does that connection resonate with you? Editor: I hadn’t thought about it that way. I guess I just saw it as a cute baby picture, but now I see there’s something more deliberate about the presentation, the frilly white dress… Curator: Exactly. It’s not just a dress; it’s a symbol. Think about the symbolism of white – purity, innocence. Now consider who benefits from those associations being imposed, idealized. Laddé wasn't just capturing an image, he was participating in reinforcing a certain cultural expectation, and one that largely ignores the agency of the subject. What questions does that raise for you about portraiture, even today? Editor: It makes me wonder about the power dynamics in portraiture – who has the power to define the narrative, and whose story gets told? Are we repeating some of the same patterns even now? Curator: Precisely. Reflecting on those historical layers allows us to critically engage with contemporary image-making and its impact on shaping identities, perceptions, and ultimately, power structures. Editor: This has given me a completely new perspective on something I initially saw as a simple, sweet photograph. Thanks so much! Curator: My pleasure! Hopefully, this encourages a more critical gaze whenever we encounter images of innocence or vulnerability.