Fotoalbum met opnames van de Tweede Boerenoorlog (1899-1902) 1899 - 1900

Editor: We’re looking at a photo album containing images from the Second Boer War, spanning 1899 to 1900, found in the Rijksmuseum. The photographs are albumen prints, credited to diverse makers. It’s strangely intimate to hold something that contains images from such a conflict, something produced en masse during wartime... What strikes you most about it? Curator: What grabs me is thinking about the making of this object. The industrialization of photography is on full display; albumen prints allowed for mass reproduction of images, turning lived experiences into consumable objects. Consider the labor: mining silver, manufacturing the photographic plates, the photographers in the field risking life and limb... And finally, consider the consumer. Who bought these images and what purpose did they serve? Editor: That's a powerful perspective. I hadn't really thought about the labor involved in producing these images, it's so removed from just 'taking a photo' today. Curator: Precisely. These weren't just images; they were commodities, manufactured and consumed in the context of imperial power and public fascination. Do you think that changes the way we understand what the photographs contained within it might depict? Editor: Absolutely. Knowing the economic and social factors behind this album shifts my focus. It’s not just about the historical record but also about the business of war, and the social consumption of conflict as information and entertainment. I never really thought about this, this changes my thinking about the power and message that are inside this photo album! Curator: Right! We are witnessing an interesting intersection, a nexus point. Materials, manufacture, power, all shaping our view of history and influencing consumption. It's something to think about the next time you open a glossy magazine.