Gezicht op het Doelenhotel met de Amstel te Amsterdam 1883 - 1900

Editor: This is a photograph entitled "Gezicht op het Doelenhotel met de Amstel te Amsterdam" by Andreas Theodorus Rooswinkel, dating from 1883 to 1900. It’s a gelatin-silver print and I’m immediately drawn to the blurry figures that are clearly in motion – it feels like I am getting a snapshot of the bustle of city life in Amsterdam at the end of the 19th Century. What strikes you when you look at this? Curator: For me, the interest lies in the material conditions of this photograph. A gelatin-silver print speaks to a specific industrialized process, mass production even. Consider the labor involved in the preparation of the photographic materials, the printing itself, the distribution. Rooswinkel wasn't just capturing a scene; he was participating in a new mode of image production, transforming the very act of seeing and recording. What does this industrial mode of producing art contribute to the tradition of cityscape imagery? Editor: That’s a great question. I guess the accessibility of the image changes things – maybe more people can engage with this sort of picture compared to traditional oil paintings of cityscapes that only wealthy people might own. And also the speed! A photograph is surely quicker to produce, and therefore cheaper, than a painting of this scene. Curator: Precisely! Think about the implications for labor, then. A shift towards quicker, cheaper images also changes the value attributed to artisanal skill. Consider, too, the chemicals involved, the industrial scale of silver mining and gelatin production… this one photograph hints at a much wider web of extraction, production and, ultimately, consumption. Editor: It’s fascinating to think of photography as being embedded in these industrial networks. I had been thinking more about the final image rather than all the different materials and production processes involved. Thank you. Curator: And thank you, this focus on production and making transforms the image!