Zeilschepen in de haven van Volendam c. 1900 - 1910

Editor: Here we have G. Hidderley's gelatin silver print, "Zeilschepen in de haven van Volendam," created sometime between 1900 and 1910. It's a cityscape, focused on a harbor filled with sailboats. The tones are quite soft, almost hazy. What strikes you when you look at this image? Curator: Immediately, I'm drawn to the materiality of the gelatin silver print itself. Consider the production of such an image at the turn of the century. This wasn't a casual snapshot; it involved considerable labor in preparing the photographic plates, developing the image, and then the socio-economic implications of choosing this scene. Volendam was becoming a popular tourist destination. Were these boats being presented for the benefit of the viewer, or something more? Editor: So you're saying this image tells us something about the fishing industry economy of the time. Curator: Exactly! These are not luxury yachts but the working vessels of Volendam. The image speaks volumes about the materials – the wood of the hulls, the canvas of the sails. The photographer is capturing not just a scene, but the tools and means of a specific livelihood. Editor: I see. It is interesting to consider photography as more than art and closer to documentational and as a process with economic context. Curator: Precisely. It also speaks to the consumption of this image. Was this meant to be mass-produced for tourists, a sort of postcard? That impacts our understanding too. Whose labor went into this and whose consumption was it geared toward? Editor: So, by considering the materials and how the photograph was made, we can glean so much about its purpose and the social context around it. Curator: Indeed. This piece serves as a visual record but more profoundly, a material testament to the socio-economic currents of Volendam at that specific point in time. Editor: Thanks. I've learned so much from a materialist perspective.