Portret van Sophia van Wurtemberg, koningin der Nederlanden before 1878

Curator: Here we have an albumen print titled "Portret van Sophia van Wurtemberg, koningin der Nederlanden" attributed to an anonymous artist, dating to before 1878. Editor: It's compelling. The portrait itself seems intimate, almost melancholic, positioned opposite what looks like a title page. Curator: Yes, the stark contrast is notable. The portrait of Queen Sophia is paired with the title page of the "Cadetten-Almanak" for 1878. Notice how her image, captured in a framed oval, almost floats on the page alongside meticulously printed text and the publisher's mark. The Almanak series indicates its material function and purpose beyond mere decoration or even a memorial. Editor: Absolutely. It feels very crafted. The quality of the albumen print process speaks to its own form of industrial labor but also how printing technologies were advancing and integrating with more specialized applications, here this cadet almanac of the time. And given this portrait has the description "deceased" on the same page... Curator: The juxtaposition with the fresh "Nieuwe Serie" banner highlights that duality sharply. One is caught in this play between life and remembrance, as suggested with Sophia’s name printed beneath, bookended with her birth and death dates. Her image functions as a memento mori, folded within this almanac. Editor: These Almanacs probably mass produced but what strikes me are these individual qualities brought by binding the photograph. A printed series meeting crafted touch is rare with these forms. I am drawn to considering the paper itself – aged, yet preserved, bearing witness to history in layers. Curator: Precisely, there’s something potent about how such a mass-produced item is imbued with personal significance through its presentation, reminding us how symbolic meaning is tied to tangible objects across various media of prints, writing, and photography itself. Editor: This print helps us trace materials circulating at this moment. How techniques influence its use, but also these affective layers imbue it. Fascinating! Curator: Indeed! The Cadetten-Almanak, framed around a single queen, provides not just context of craft, but captures enduring symbols interwoven with our own cultural narratives and memories.