Dubbelportret van Katy Engel en Hermien Marmelstein before 1930

This double portrait of Katy Engel and Hermien Marmelstein was produced by American Automatic Fotografie, and I wonder what that was! The surface of the photographic paper is quite soft, like a very low key watercolour. I imagine Katy and Hermien standing in the photo booth together, having a good time. I can see them in their outfits, the white shirts and matching hats. The women could be sisters, cousins, or perhaps… more than friends? The photograph has a very gentle quality, and I wonder if the photographer considered themselves to be making art? Certainly, in terms of composition and style, it has a very modernist sensibility. It reminds me a little of the work of Gertrude Käsebier, a contemporary of American Automatic Fotografie. I like how the photo embraces a particular kind of ambiguity, inviting the viewer to ask questions without necessarily seeking answers. It’s a prompt. It’s generative.