League of Nations: press Lennhoff, Paul Sokeffen and Russell in Salle des pas Tendres 1935

Curator: Erich Salomon captured this photograph, "League of Nations: press Lennhoff, Paul Sokeffen and Russell in Salle des pas Tendres." The print measures about 6 by 9 inches. Editor: It feels so...staged, yet intimate, like a candid shot carefully composed. All those suits, the somber tones, create a sense of weighty importance, doesn't it? Curator: Salomon was known for his candid photography, documenting political and diplomatic events. He subverted the formal photographic conventions of the time through an unobtrusive style of photojournalism. The image is compelling precisely because it doesn't feel posed despite the subjects' awareness of the camera. Editor: Maybe it's that tension then, between real life and performance. It mirrors the League itself, perhaps? A stage for political theatre. Curator: Precisely. These figures represent power structures, negotiation, and the very human attempts to shape international relations. This photograph highlights how power is made, both in front of and behind the scenes. Editor: It’s a stark reminder that even in moments of diplomacy, there's always an audience, a performance for history. Curator: Indeed, a sobering thought as we observe these men caught in a moment of constructed, yet revealing, visibility.