Portret van vijf naaiende vrouwen c. 1890 - 1910

This photographic print by Pieter Wilhelmus Roemer captures five women with their sewing in an unknown time. The photograph shows five women who are likely working in the garment industry. With one woman operating a sewing machine and the others engaging in hand sewing, these processes speak to the transition from domestic craft to industrial production. As photography emerged as a means of documentation, it also captured the changing dynamics of labor and class. The image freezes a moment in time when handcraft and machine production coexisted, inviting us to consider the amount of time and effort that goes into textile production. The materiality of fabric and thread, though not physically present in the photograph, take center stage as the essence of the image. By looking at this image, we are confronted with the wider social issues of labor, politics, and consumption. This challenges traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.