Rollenpers 1931 - 1937

Editor: Here we have an interesting gelatin silver print from between 1931 and 1937 titled "Rollenpers", from an anonymous artist at the Rijksmuseum. It looks like a photograph of a printing press. What do you see in this piece, considering its historical context? Curator: Well, first off, it's not just a picture *of* a printing press; it’s engaging with the press itself *as* an instrument of production. This period saw huge shifts in industrial capabilities and photographic technology. Notice how the geometry almost flattens. How does the presentation within a photograph change our perception of the press's function from practical tool to… object? Editor: So, the act of photographing shifts our focus from function to, maybe, artistic appreciation? But this also makes me wonder who might have been involved in making the printing press. The laborers in the machinefabriek. Were photographs like these meant for internal records, a kind of corporate catalog perhaps? Curator: Precisely. These were often bound into corporate presentation volumes, so who decided that, and how were they distributed and by whom? These are valid questions that consider the manufacturing workers and their families involved in its creation and circulation. Don't forget the person who actually produced this image – the photographer! What are your thoughts on that? Editor: It makes you wonder about the photographer and their intentions too, like who commissioned them? It’s really fascinating to consider this piece from so many perspectives. Curator: Yes, it highlights how even seemingly straightforward images are tied to networks of labor and material processes. And, looking closer at the press itself in this light, reminds us to value design and utility over purely artistic forms.