Vijf foto's van een reis naar Marseille en Griekenland 1926 - 1929

Editor: We're looking at "Vijf foto's van een reis naar Marseille en Griekenland" – that's "Five photos from a trip to Marseille and Greece" – taken between 1926 and 1929 by Carolina (Loentje) Frederika Onnen. It's a collection of gelatin silver and albumen prints arranged on a page, capturing landscapes and cityscapes. They feel very personal, like snippets from a travel journal. What strikes you most about this arrangement? Curator: What sings to me is the silent conversation between Onnen and her world. It’s almost like flipping through a beloved family album, isn't it? There’s a gentle curiosity in her gaze. Imagine her on this trip, a Dutch woman absorbing the light of Marseille and the ancient stones of Greece. Do you notice how the placement almost reads like a story? Editor: I see what you mean! It’s not just a random placement. It begins in the bustling port, then transitions to quieter moments on the deck, and finally… touches these timeless monuments in Greece. It feels so intimate. Curator: Exactly! Intimate and insightful. It's a quiet declaration, almost daring to whisper a shared experience. She sees the grandeur of a modern city, juxtaposed with the eternal presence of antiquity, but she feels neither like an alien. Does that resonance come across to you as well? Editor: It really does, now that you mention it. Before, I was focused on the different locales, but together, it is indeed like a silent journey of discovery and emotion. I thought the pictures themselves were fascinating as records, but now I can appreciate the meaning of collecting and displaying these prints, so you get this dialogue between the different spaces, countries and cultures! Curator: Ah, but isn’t that what makes it magic? What seemed straightforward shows to have hidden whispers to reveal, stories just on the verge of telling. Thank you for opening that album with me, so the trip to Marseille and Greece wasn’t quite so solitary. Editor: Thank you for your wonderful perspectives. Now I look forward to my travels, and hope I too can build this kind of connection with space, and tell my stories.