Vrouwen, meisjes en een man in klederdracht, op de rug gezien 1920 - 1940

Editor: Here we have "Vrouwen, meisjes en een man in klederdracht, op de rug gezien," or "Women, girls and a man in traditional costume, seen from the back," a photograph taken sometime between 1920 and 1940 by G. Hidderley. It feels almost like a documentary image, capturing a slice of everyday life, although slightly staged with everyone in costume. What’s your take? Curator: I immediately see this work as documenting labor through clothing, through the meticulous reproduction of traditional garments. Photography, as a medium, makes these costumes accessible to a wider audience. Who makes these clothes? What is the social and economic significance of maintaining these traditions, especially during this period of change in the early to mid-20th century? Editor: That's fascinating! I was so focused on the "Dutch Golden Age" style tag and its quaint charm that I missed that layer. It seems almost…preservationist? Curator: Precisely! It's capturing a visual record, one tied deeply to material production and social identity. It challenges us to question who is represented and why; we see these figures from behind. It's more about the act of preservation, rather than focusing on individual stories. What decisions have gone into constructing these materials, how readily available were they at the time, and who benefited from them, economically? Editor: So, the very act of photographing and disseminating this image impacts the perpetuation of traditional craft or maybe signals its potential end? Curator: Exactly. Photography reproduces, thus influences production and ultimately consumption, or…extinction, even in cases of craft. That's a fascinating angle, isn't it? Editor: Definitely gives me a lot to think about in terms of how we perceive traditional art forms! Thank you. Curator: My pleasure; reflecting on these factors truly opens up many other possible meanings behind this image.