Bertha Josina Jeanetta Johanna van Berk c. 1914

Editor: Here we have Lambertus Hendrik van Berk's photograph of 'Bertha Josina Jeanetta Johanna van Berk,' taken around 1914. It feels like a sweet, yet slightly unsettling, snapshot. I’m curious, what do you see when you look at this image? Curator: Immediately, I’m drawn to the materiality. Look at the emulsion, likely hand-tinted, the almost crude application of color attempting to elevate it beyond a simple documentation of childhood. Notice how the chair, seemingly just a prop, actually dictates posture, restricting Bertha, quite literally framing her experience. Consider who benefits from creating the portrait: The patron, the photographer or the subject. Editor: It’s interesting to think of the chair as a restrictive element. It’s so ordinary; I wouldn't have thought about its influence. And the hand-tinting feels… almost quaint now. Curator: "Quaint," yes, but also a conscious choice to align photography with established painted portraiture. The added labor changes the reception of this object, making it distinct from a simple, quicker photo. Was it to increase marketability? Think also about the social expectation that children dress and behave "properly," which of course changes according to period. It invites examination of class, family aspirations and consumerism. Editor: So it's not just about preserving a memory, it’s about creating an object with social value? Curator: Precisely! We can almost map the value placed on childhood innocence and the family’s status through the deliberate material choices of photography, clothing, setting and embellishments that mark this piece. Editor: This makes me see it less as a simple photograph and more like a carefully crafted… statement. Curator: Indeed! Understanding the how and why this portrait was manufactured gives us unique insight into the priorities of that era and this specific family. Editor: I will definitely think more about how class is materialized in photographs now.