Twee mensen in een park in Brussel, waaronder Ella Uhlenbeck 1911

Editor: So, this is "Two people in a park in Brussels, including Ella Uhlenbeck," a photograph by Carolina (Loentje) Frederika Onnen, taken in 1911. It's got a very... sepia-toned, melancholic feel to it. A couple stands stiffly, gazing towards the camera in the middle of a park. The flatness and formality are interesting, a world away from our selfie culture! What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: Ah, yes, a poignant glimpse into a world both familiar and utterly lost to time! What resonates with me, perhaps because I’m such a sap for nostalgia, is that tangible sense of human connection amidst the static. Look at the almost palpable quietness – you can almost hear the rustle of leaves under their feet, feel the chill autumn air on their faces. These are ghosts caught in silver halide, moments plucked from oblivion. Doesn’t it make you wonder about their story? Their lives, their hopes and fears? What do *you* imagine they’re talking about, just before or just after the shutter clicks? Editor: That’s beautiful. Maybe she's just told him a secret and he’s trying to play it cool! I was so focused on the style – the long coats and enormous hat – that I didn't think much about what's happening in the moment. The picture next to it, where the foliage blends into their coats... did they pose deliberately, or did the photographer just stumble across these quiet moments in time? Curator: I suspect there's an element of both deliberate staging, a common practice at the time, alongside the accidental magic only street photography can provide. Back then, photography was more ritual than reflex. Consider it like this: each photograph a collaborative effort, with subject and artist weaving their own narrative into the tapestry of reality. Which version feels truer to you? The deliberate pose or the captured intimacy? Editor: It's probably a mix, I see what you mean. Thanks, this has really changed my perspective! I came in thinking 'old photo,' but now it feels much more alive. Curator: Exactly! And hopefully it invites each listener to weave their own narratives too! I found myself peering deeper into my own life. A photo helps to reflect back your inner world and reveal its mysteries, don't you think?