Een der vier slaapzalen c. 1902

Editor: So, this gelatin-silver print, "Een der vier slaapzalen" by Tan Tjie Lan, dates to around 1902. It depicts a dormitory, and the repetition of beds creates a rather somber mood. What do you make of this piece? Curator: I see a fascinating document of social infrastructure, revealed through its photographic construction. Consider the labor involved in manufacturing these beds, the textiles for the bedding, and the architectural space itself. Where did the materials originate? How were they assembled, distributed, and consumed within this institution? Editor: That's an interesting point about the materiality of the setting itself. It shifts the focus from just the image to what is *in* the image. Were these photographs made for artistic purposes, or were they documentary in nature? Curator: Excellent question. The gelatin-silver print process was commercially widespread by then. This tells me it was more than art, perhaps bureaucratic. Whose reality does this photo depict, and how does the act of photography, as a reproducible medium, affect its meaning? What are the social implications of presenting a mass produced photo that shows a mass quantity of identical items such as beds? Editor: So you're thinking it's less about artistic expression and more about the societal systems and materials that went into creating the space, and the photograph of the space itself? I never thought of it that way before. Curator: Precisely! By examining the production process and the consumption of this image, we gain insight into early 20th-century institutions, maybe even colonial dynamics related to who may have been using the location. Editor: I see. Looking at it now, focusing on the means of production certainly gives a new depth of context. Thanks for that perspective. Curator: Absolutely! Now, how might we discover if the manufacturing practices behind this building exploit individuals?