Drie Britse soldaten zittend voor een tent in Colesberg, Zuid-Afrika 1900

Curator: This gelatin-silver print, dating back to 1900, presents a captivating glimpse into the Second Boer War. The piece is titled, "Drie Britse soldaten zittend voor een tent in Colesberg, Zuid-Afrika," meaning "Three British Soldiers Sitting in Front of a Tent in Colesberg, South Africa." Editor: My immediate impression is one of quiet desperation. The dusty earth tones really evoke a feeling of isolation, but there's a fragility I wasn't expecting. What materials beyond the photographic processing contribute to this? Curator: Absolutely. Colesberg was a pivotal battleground, so that atmosphere certainly permeates. Genre-wise, we see both a portrait and a genre-painting feel coming through. Photography had a very specific role in documenting and shaping the narrative of these conflicts for the British public. Editor: I see how this photograph captures a sense of stillness—the figures, their materials—yet everything speaks volumes. Their uniforms must be made of heavy, course wool meant to endure difficult use while the young man embraces the tensioned skin and shell of that drum, which signifies something so central to wartime activities. It looks so fragile in contrast, as do they, amidst the violence of their role. It also feels incredibly manufactured: look how purposefully posed each one is to produce this sentiment of war we now analyze. Curator: Indeed, though its apparent realism, let’s acknowledge it also plays into established historical painting tropes. The scene appears natural, but it subtly reinforces specific ideals: duty, camaraderie. The men embody an empire at its peak but already revealing strains under pressure from local resistance. Note how one is reading while the drummer writes...to his mother no doubt. Editor: A posed photo to evoke motherly feelings. The men become objects of empire's desire rather than individual portraits expressing loss of humanity. Those tensions are what's fascinating here; seeing how this photograph acts as propaganda itself but through materiality still captures this incredible frailty. Curator: Agreed. The print invites us to look beyond face value, recognizing how historical images not only record events but actively shape collective memory. Editor: Definitely food for thought on the complex relationship between photography, social class, and conflict. I now consider it differently.