Poort, tijdelijk opgetrokken op het Jonas Daniël Meyerplein te Amsterdam, ca. 1875 1872 - 1878

Editor: Here we have Albert Greiner's photograph from around 1875, “Poort, tijdelijk opgetrokken op het Jonas Daniël Meyerplein te Amsterdam," which translates to, a gate temporarily erected on Jonas Daniël Meyer Square in Amsterdam. The sepia tones give the image a dreamy, almost fantastical quality, like something out of a fairytale. What strikes you most about it? Curator: Well, I find myself wondering about this 'temporary' gate. It's almost as if Greiner is capturing a fleeting moment, a staged fantasy amidst the solid permanence of the city. It makes me ponder: What's more real—the brick-and-mortar buildings that flank it, or this ephemeral gate conjured for a celebration, a performance? Do you find a hint of theatricality in its construction, a whisper of impermanence against the cityscape? Editor: Absolutely! It's grand, but the 'temporary' nature definitely makes it seem like a stage set. Do you think that affects how we're meant to view the city around it? Curator: Precisely! It casts a spell, altering how we perceive the very air and space of Amsterdam. The photograph whispers of carnivals and celebrations that leave a trace, a ghost image lingering long after the confetti is swept away. Think about the figures clustered within the gate itself. Are they performers? Spectators? Ghosts drawn to the fleeting spectacle? Perhaps, the photo invites us to see the beauty in transient experiences, memories becoming structures in the urban landscape, as vital as anything erected in stone. What kind of memory do you think this photograph represents? Editor: I see what you mean! The transience gives the photo a feeling of nostalgia, like a memory fading. Curator: And a reminder that what feels monumental in one moment, can become just a story in another. Editor: I hadn't considered that! It makes me see beyond just the surface level of the cityscape. Thanks!