Vrouwelijke schutter Possibly 1936 - 1939

This photograph titled ‘Vrouwelijke schutter’ or ‘Female Shooter’ was created by Fotobureau Holland. The image depicts three women lying prone on a hilltop, gazing out over a landscape. The title suggests they are combatants. The photograph likely emerged from a context of social upheaval and conflict. Understanding its origins requires looking into the social conditions that made it. Consider the historical moment. Was it a period of war or revolution? What role did women play in this conflict? What were the social and political messages that this image would have conveyed? Knowing this would reveal the politics embedded in this powerful photograph, and how such images shaped history. Historians interested in exploring further might begin by researching the archives of Fotobureau Holland, or looking at documentary photography from this place and period. By doing so, we contextualize the role of the image, as a social and historical artifact.