Gezelschap in een roeiboot van Hotel Wijkerburg, Voorburg before 1894

Editor: So, we’re looking at a gelatin silver print entitled "Gezelschap in een roeiboot van Hotel Wijkerburg, Voorburg" - or, "Company in a Rowing Boat of Hotel Wijkerburg, Voorburg," made before 1894 by Hendrik Herman van den Berg. There’s such a hazy, almost dreamlike quality to this photograph. It's more than just a picture; it feels like a little story. What strikes you when you see it? Curator: It’s a gorgeous captured moment, isn’t it? I find myself thinking about time itself, like a little rowboat gently gliding. There is that dreamy almost painterly quality which echoes impressionism... what’s interesting is the mix of leisure and labour – the elegant ladies contrasted with the men rowing… Makes you wonder about their relationships. Almost a staged genre painting, don’t you think? Do you get the feeling of the burgeoning leisure class enjoying a weekend excursion? Editor: I do, that division between labour and leisure definitely jumps out now. But what is that hotel doing there, painted on the boat? Was it common for businesses to advertise in such a way? Curator: Absolutely! Think of it as a historical advertisement meets snapshot. Ingenious, really! Free advertising as these boats meander through picturesque waterways, imagine the floating billboards this would create along with impressions made upon seeing the people riding it. Beyond the photograph itself, what about its resonance to our own culture – where we're still striving to find those little pockets of joy. That to me is what breathes life into this seemingly still image. Editor: I love how this photograph captures so many layers: society, leisure, and even advertising. It gives a tiny peep into the past with so much to tell us! Curator: Agreed! Sometimes the quietest images speak the loudest, don’t they? It's as much about what it shows as what it evokes.