Strandgezicht van Zandvoort rieten strandstoelen c. 1875 - 1930

This is a photograph titled 'Strandgezicht van Zandvoort rieten strandstoelen' by Römmler & Jonas. Here we see a beach scene, likely from the late 19th or early 20th century, crowded with people and those peculiar hooded beach chairs. What interests me is the social theater unfolding on this beach. The beach wasn't just a place of leisure, but a stage where social identities were performed and observed. Who had access to this space? Who could afford the fashionable attire and leisure time to be seen here? The hooded chairs themselves speak to a desire for privacy, even while in public. Consider the gaze of the photographer, Römmler & Jonas. What stories are they choosing to tell about this place and its people? Are they reinforcing existing social hierarchies, or offering a critique? These images both reveal and conceal, inviting us to consider the complex relationship between representation and reality. How might we reimagine this space today, challenging the social norms of the past and creating a more inclusive future?