Lint van crèmekleurig gaas van 15 meter c. 1900 - 1915

Editor: Here we have "Lint van crèmekleurig gaas van 15 meter," or "Ribbon of cream-colored gauze, 15 meters," dating from around 1900-1915, currently housed in the Rijksmuseum. It looks like a photograph of a roll of delicate fabric. What do you see in this seemingly simple object? Curator: This isn't merely a photograph of a ribbon; it's a time capsule. Consider the socio-economic implications of even needing fifteen meters of fine gauze ribbon at the turn of the century. Who could afford such an excess? What purposes might it serve? This object hints at a specific class and perhaps even certain gendered activities within that class. Does this read as an indulgence or a utility? Editor: An indulgence, certainly. Gauze suggests luxury, maybe adornment. What kind of person would buy that much of it? Curator: Exactly! We could start unraveling assumptions here. Think about the construction of femininity during this era. Was this used for clothing? Decoration? Costuming? To understand this, we also need to address how this photograph was made and why it was preserved. Did Schnitzler intentionally imbue the image of this fabric with some sort of message? What message is implied by capturing something so everyday? Editor: It seems so ordinary, like something you’d find in any sewing kit. Perhaps that’s what's so captivating about it. I wonder what Schnitzler hoped to communicate by photographing the material? Curator: Perhaps the beauty in simplicity. Think of it as an activist's capture of a delicate era, hinting at beauty amidst industrial progress. Consider the cultural significance around objects, femininity, consumerism and historical preservation when contemplating textiles like this. Editor: Thinking about it that way makes it far more than a piece of ribbon. It becomes evidence of a whole social structure. Curator: Precisely! Objects speak volumes when we interrogate the contexts they inhabit, even seemingly plain ribbons!