Lex, Karel Frederik en een andere jongeman in de kamer van Hendrik Herman van den Berg before 1894

Curator: Here we have an intriguing gelatin silver print dating from before 1894, whose title translates to "Lex, Karel Frederik and Another Young Man in the Room of Hendrik Herman van den Berg". It offers us a snapshot, quite literally, into a specific time and social context. Editor: Right! My immediate thought is—what a moment! It feels caught somewhere between carefully posed portrait and utterly candid glimpse. The sepia tones add a kind of wistful air, almost dreamlike quality. What do you think about that object, next to a possible Delftware? Curator: The technology is key here. This photograph reflects the burgeoning accessibility of photography, allowing for the rise of informal portraiture and a different form of documentation beyond the formal studio setting. The decor tells a story about the subject's socio-economic class. Editor: Absolutely. Note how cluttered the space is behind them, lots of snapshots on the wall. To me it feels very ‘student pad.’ Their faces, too—there’s such youthfulness there, but with an edge of something… reckless, perhaps. Curator: This 'genre painting' is a valuable source material that reflects both the democratizing influence of accessible photographic materials and practices, with a new form of archiving and recordkeeping enabled by cheap photographic processes. The performativity within the domestic space captures the beginning of the construction of identity and subjectivity with affordable portraiture that also speaks to class aspirations. Editor: Thinking about how they posed versus were directed to pose for the camera and within each other's gaze tells us something about the subjects and artist as a historical record. Their outfits, too— that theatrical robe next to that chamber pot creates an intriguing clash. It adds a note of humor that’s quite striking, a suggestion of late-night revelry. Overall, this little gelatin print provides so much. Curator: Agreed. By looking at the material conditions of the time, we can contextualize images like these and more deeply appreciate their layered stories, beyond just the surface image. Editor: Definitely, and to allow ourselves some room for speculation... what narratives do these images inspire? It seems they all carry untold histories, caught in that perfect and fading light.