Fotoalbum van een lid van de familie Onnen-van den Berg met 126 foto's op 24 bladen. 1913 - 1914

Curator: This is the cover of a photo album belonging to a member of the Onnen-van den Berg family, dated between 1913 and 1914. The album contains 126 photographs spread across 24 pages, documenting a specific slice of early 20th-century life. Editor: It feels remarkably simple, doesn’t it? Almost austere. The muted tones and the repeating pattern of birds give it a rather melancholic feel. It’s an intriguing minimalist composition for what would presumably be a repository of personal memories. Curator: Absolutely. The stylistic elements definitely align with the artistic sensibilities of the period, especially considering the touches of Art Nouveau influence. This aesthetic really spoke to bourgeois taste and values in this time. The use of drawing, print, ink, and paper also point to certain social accessibility to photograph albums at that time, showing their role in constructing and presenting personal identity within family and social circles. Editor: You're right; the stylistic connection to Art Nouveau is interesting, particularly when we consider the lines of those flying birds, their rhythm and placement. They aren't simply decorative; the design suggests a narrative flow. Their visual direction almost dictates the way our eyes move across the page, as if trying to unlock some inherent symbolism. It might echo a theme of change and perhaps social advancement. Curator: Precisely! And consider how the album functions as a container of memory, a curated collection reflecting familial identity in a specific context. Looking at this, one must also consider who gets included, and how, showing those visual choices affect family narratives. This era experienced massive social shifts and this album probably played an important role in negotiating identity in this complex and evolving society. Editor: Indeed, from an artistic perspective, the careful tonal restraint speaks volumes. The use of line creates a visual hierarchy where the birds capture immediate attention, making them focal. And perhaps that soft colour palette underscores an overall feeling of nostalgia even at the time. It suggests remembrance before these images are even created, as if they already acknowledge they're part of something fading. Curator: Reflecting on the materiality, consider that the physical act of assembling this album – the choosing and pasting, the arrangement – formed a social act, too. What appears as a personal artifact gains more value and importance as we explore that interaction between private experiences and social representation. Editor: Ultimately, I think it’s quite amazing how an outwardly subdued cover prepares the mind to access the depth and emotions from the private experiences in these photos. It’s as if the minimalism opens up a bigger internal landscape for imagination to dwell.