Rokin gezien vanaf de Doelenbrug richting Langebrug, met links een badhuis 1860 - 1875

Editor: Here we have "Rokin gezien vanaf de Doelenbrug richting Langebrug, met links een badhuis," an albumen print by Andries Jager, dating from between 1860 and 1875. The tonal range feels so delicate, almost like a watercolor painting. What's your take on this view of Amsterdam? Curator: This photograph is fascinating precisely because of its material construction. We often think of photography as pure representation, but consider the labor involved in creating an albumen print. Eggs! Hundreds, maybe thousands, used to coat the paper, making it light-sensitive. Think of the infrastructure – the farms, the transport – necessary to produce this image. What does it say about the priorities and structures of Amsterdam at the time? Editor: Wow, I never thought of it that way. I was focused on the pretty cityscape and the reflections in the water. You're saying the image itself is less important than how it was made and what that process represents? Curator: Not less important, but intertwined. This isn't just a picturesque scene; it's a product of specific industrial and agricultural practices. The choice of albumen printing also reflects a particular desire for detail and tonal richness, demanding high material investment. How does this investment impact the types of subjects considered 'worthy' of such labor-intensive representation? Does this process favor some segments of society over others? Editor: So, it makes you consider who had access to these types of images, or who might even be left out of the picture, so to speak, because it was such a labor-intensive method? Curator: Precisely! We must consider not just what we see, but the material conditions that made seeing it possible in the first place. Editor: That gives me a totally different perspective. I’m going to look at all photographs much more critically from now on! Curator: That’s the point, isn’t it? To never take a work of art for granted.