Het gezelschap op het strand bij Oilport Californië Possibly 1908

Geldolph Adriaan Kessler made this photograph, titled "Het Gezelschap op het strand bij Oilport Californië," sometime in the early 20th century. Here we see two men in suits walking along a rocky beach. Behind them, we see the cliffs rising up to meet the horizon. Kessler seems interested in the relationship between man and nature, but also perhaps the uneasy relationship between man, nature, and industry given the location is Oilport, California. This image creates meaning through the use of visual codes: the men in suits suggest wealth and power, while the desolate landscape suggests the impact of industry on the natural world. The photograph was made in a time of great social and economic change in the United States, and the rise of the oil industry was a major factor in this. The photograph may be a comment on the social structures of its time, as it shows the wealthy elite enjoying the fruits of industry while the environment suffers. To understand this image better, we might research the history of the oil industry in California and the social and economic conditions of the time. Only by understanding the social and institutional context in which it was made can we truly appreciate the meaning of this photograph.