Groepsportret van dochters, zoon en vrienden van de fotograaf c. 1853

Editor: This is "Groepsportret van dochters, zoon en vrienden van de fotograaf," made around 1853 by Eduard Isaac Asser. It's a gelatin silver print, and something about its almost sepia tones makes it feel very intimate. What stands out to you in this piece? Curator: The materiality is really the heart of it. Think about what it meant to create an image like this in 1853. The process wasn’t as simple as point-and-shoot. Every choice, from the chemical solutions to the exposure time, demanded meticulous labour and shaped the final image. Look at the textures—the dresses, the faces—they’re products of both the sitter’s status *and* the laborious process. Editor: So, you're saying the materiality impacted not just the appearance but the very content of the photograph? Curator: Exactly. These were upper-class families. Consider the construction of the fabrics in their clothes and what went into owning such garments in this time period, what do the clothes communicate about them? What might this indicate about who had the ability to commission a photograph at that time, and whose stories were not being recorded? Editor: That's a great point. I hadn't considered the consumption aspect – both the consumption of materials for the photo itself and what it signified for the family in it. I'll definitely view photography of this period through a different lens now. Curator: And that different lens helps reveal power dynamics at play! I'm glad you understand the impact of labour and access on a final image, and how the decisions of production play a critical role.