Fotoalbum met 99 foto's, Nederlands 1855 - 1920

Curator: Before us is a fascinating piece simply titled "Fotoalbum met 99 foto's, Nederlands," or "Photo Album with 99 Photos, Dutch." It's dated from approximately 1855 to 1920. Editor: It’s remarkably…reserved, isn't it? A closed book, both literally and figuratively. The claret velvet cover and those austere metal corner clasps give it the air of a family secret, or perhaps a carefully guarded piece of history. Curator: Absolutely. We see the artistry not only in the individual albumen prints contained within but also in the album’s very construction. Think of the labor involved in sourcing the materials: the plush velvet, the precisely cut metal, and the preparation and printing of ninety-nine individual photographs, likely a collaboration between the photographer and the bookbinder. The materials speak to class and wealth. Editor: The wealth represented here interests me less than what is absent: Whose history is it? Whose stories are deemed important enough to meticulously preserve in silver and velvet? Albums like these weren’t passive objects. They actively shaped memory, constructing a selective narrative of Dutch identity, likely reinforcing social hierarchies, omitting narratives of disenfranchised people and those of color or differing faiths and politics. Curator: That's a potent observation. I'm intrigued by your point of view! Considering your perspective, let’s talk about this shield-shaped adornment on the cover; it is very polished but it has no crest visible. Is the anonymity deliberate, a shield not only to protect these photos, but perhaps also to obscure the family's story for some unknown reasons? It invites many questions around privacy, public persona and possibly vulnerability of the owner. Editor: It's precisely this interplay between visibility and occlusion, between preservation and power that demands examination. It prompts reflections on cultural memory and its erasures. It also prompts the issue of accessibility of history – an object like this will be historically significant but hidden away from public and popular use because it is regarded as private family matter. Curator: Such discussions remind us to analyze the labor, process and societal context behind these types of photographical mixed-media objects! The creation and long survival of albums like this gives us insight into a Dutch person's private life between 1855-1920, a historical window otherwise not viewable without this material existence! Editor: It underscores how intertwined the personal and the political have always been, captured here through those 99 hidden photographs in its own intricate way.