Handschoen behorend tot de uitrusting van een sappeur van de 1e Afdeling Noord-Hollandse Schutterij c. 1800 - 1830

Editor: This is a photograph of a glove from between 1800 and 1830, called "Handschoen behorend tot de uitrusting van een sappeur van de 1e Afdeling Noord-Hollandse Schutterij." The glove, made of textile, seems like it has had a life of its own. What stands out to you in this photograph? Curator: It whispers tales, doesn’t it? It is interesting to think about what this glove has seen, what it has held and what it may have built! Notice the sturdy construction, almost architectural. Does it remind you of anything? Editor: A building foundation! It looks incredibly durable. This was for a sapper, right? So someone who built fortifications? Curator: Precisely! Think of the labor, the earth moved by hands covered by this glove. Consider the tension between the elegance of the glove and the roughness of the labor it represents. Does it make you think of other examples where clothing reflects both status and labor? Editor: Maybe something like blue jeans which originated as durable work-wear and became a high-fashion piece! Curator: Absolutely. It makes you think about an object's journey, how meaning shifts, doesn’t it? These details tell so many fascinating stories. Editor: It definitely changes how I see objects in museums! Curator: Me too, it’s a beautiful shift! The history embedded in seemingly mundane objects connects us to the past. I think that's powerful, and if you listen close enough, you can almost hear what they're trying to say.