Militairen in afwachting van keuring 1941 - 1945

Editor: This photograph, a gelatin-silver print titled "Militairen in afwachting van keuring," meaning "Soldiers awaiting inspection", was taken anonymously sometime between 1941 and 1945. There's something about the waiting that feels so heavy here, a kind of anticipatory stillness. It's interesting that they're not posed, almost like we caught a glimpse of them unaware. What catches your eye, or what do you see happening beyond the surface? Curator: It's the ambiguity, isn't it? The space between 'action' is always so fertile. I see a study in shared tension, mirrored in their postures. Anonymous as it is, I bet you anything the photographer was one of them – capturing that liminal space between individual and cog-in-the-machine. Does that border look jagged to you? Almost violently torn? It speaks volumes, unintentionally or otherwise. It whispers about the abrupt ruptures they were about to experience. How do *you* think it speaks to ideas of realism or portraiture in that moment? Editor: The torn edges give a sense of urgency to an otherwise still and quite composed scene. Also, that little kid standing between the soldiers -- what's that about? Is that normal for that time and place? Curator: Normal, perhaps not, but resonant? Absolutely! Maybe he is an anchor in the present, innocently outside of it all – highlighting the tragic loss of it. Perhaps the photographer hoped to capture innocence juxtaposed with imminent loss of it. If they all made it through the war that is! The photograph makes one want to dream up scenarios and potential storylines. The most captivating photographs often possess a dreamlike quality that encourages reflection. Editor: I like your view that it serves as a reminder of innocence or maybe childhood before they became 'soldiers.' It sounds plausible. This quick chat shifted my view entirely – what initially seemed like a casual group photo now feels like a loaded observation about identity and disruption. Curator: Precisely! It is a powerful testament of wartime impact, even from an anonymous lens. Perhaps the greatest insights lie within those images devoid of a known authorship.