Inwoners van Umm Qais, Jordanië 1898

This photograph, "Inwoners van Umm Qais, Jordanië," was taken by Johannes Lodewijk Heldring, likely in the late 19th or early 20th century. The sepia tones suggest an early photographic process, perhaps albumen print, where light-sensitive chemicals were applied to paper. The final image, in turn, would have relied on the artist’s skill in manipulating the exposure and development to reveal its detail. The photograph depicts local people of Umm Qais, capturing a moment in their daily lives, and also documenting their traditional clothing. The physical act of photography itself, though, was an intrusion of industrial processes, and global capitalism, into the local context. The very act of capturing this image, creating a material record, subtly shifted the relationship between the people and their representation. The photograph becomes not just a document, but a transaction, a trade of image for presence. Heldring's photograph provides a glimpse into a specific time and place, while also reminding us of the complex interplay between observer and observed.