Boten aan de kade in de haven van (vermoedelijk) Sydney c. 1890 - 1910

Editor: This gelatin-silver print, "Boats on the Quay in the Port of (presumably) Sydney" by Charles Bayliss, seems to capture a rather tranquil harbor scene from around 1890-1910. It feels quiet, almost suspended in time. What do you see when you look at it? Curator: I see more than tranquility; I see the cogs of colonialism turning. The ships, symbols of trade and connection, also represent the extraction of resources and the imposition of power. Look closer: who benefitted from this "tranquil" scene, and who was likely excluded or exploited in its making? Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't considered. I was mainly focusing on the composition, the way the boats line up and the buildings fade into the background. How can a photo like this also be a document of, say, unequal labor practices? Curator: Consider the context: the late 19th century in Australia. Photography was becoming more accessible, yet the photographer still held considerable power in shaping the narrative. Whose stories are prioritized here? Whose labor made this port function? These ships carried not just goods, but also people and ideologies that shaped colonial power dynamics. Can we assume the photographer was critical of his own society? Editor: Probably not… So by focusing on the silences in the image – the untold stories of the workers, the Indigenous populations, or the impact on the environment – we can read this photograph against its own apparent simplicity. Is that correct? Curator: Exactly! We must examine whose perspectives are missing and ask why. Images, like this serene harborscape, participate in complex systems of power and representation. Even in what seems peaceful, histories of inequity linger. Editor: That’s fascinating. I'll never look at historical photographs the same way again! Thank you. Curator: My pleasure, keep looking and asking questions. That is the start of social change.