Twee mannen in klederdracht, onder wie één in vrouwenkleding c. 1900 - 1910

Curator: This intriguing photograph, taken around 1900-1910 by G. Hidderley, is titled "Twee mannen in klederdracht, onder wie één in vrouwenkleding," which translates to "Two men in traditional costume, including one in women's clothing." What are your first impressions? Editor: My immediate response is one of questioning. The staged intimacy between these two figures in what appears to be traditional Dutch attire presents a fascinating challenge to conventional understandings of gender and sexuality at the turn of the century. Curator: Indeed. Genre painting and early photography like this, had a critical role in shaping and solidifying notions of national identity, often in very curated and constructed ways. Here, we see what appears to be a deliberate subversion of those visual codes. Editor: Absolutely. The act of dressing in clothing typically assigned to the opposite sex—while considered a form of resistance—is not uncommon across social, cultural, and gender nonconforming movements. Here the context provided by realism opens many questions to performance. It evokes dialogue about identity, sexuality, gender, class—all intersectional threads present and yet silent in this still image. Curator: It is silent, but not absent, right? Photographs of this kind, documenting, or perhaps staging, these social dynamics offer valuable insight into LGBTQIA+ history. It invites reflection on performativity and the construction of societal roles. This photograph may depict cross-dressing, a cultural phenomenon present across societies for various reasons, but without further documentation, any statement we make can only be speculative. Editor: Precisely. The beauty lies in its ambiguity, right? As a photograph, it presents a moment frozen in time that invites dialogue and reflection about marginalized voices in art. Curator: I concur. Hidderley has created not just a photographic record but a platform for an ongoing conversation. Editor: Indeed. I find this picture profoundly moving for its ability to question—inviting inquiry of representation and the complexities of human experience.