Optocht Jeugdstorm 1935 - 1937

Editor: Here we have J. Otto’s photograph, “Optocht Jeugdstorm,” taken sometime between 1935 and 1937. It’s a gelatin silver print depicting a youth marching band on parade. The starkness of the silver print really emphasizes the regimented nature of the group. What stands out to you about this work? Curator: For me, it's all about the means of production informing the content. The gelatin silver print, a mass-reproducible medium, perfectly captures the rise of mass movements in the 1930s. Consider the socio-political context: what type of labor relations created the conditions of possibility to have organizations such as "Jeugdstorm?" Who manufactured the gelatin, the silver, and the paper used in the print? Whose labor was being captured, and to what end? Editor: So you're saying the photograph itself, its very materiality, speaks to the historical forces at play? Curator: Precisely. Think about the photographic process itself: a moment, carefully composed, and captured through specific material means. What decisions did the photographer make about light, focus, and composition? Those decisions reflect a certain ideology that is ultimately distributed through reproducible material culture, creating opportunities for people to reflect, resist, or ignore social movements depending on how their personal histories and identities shape their relationships to materiality. Editor: That makes a lot of sense. It is less about the artistry of the photograph and more about understanding what materials were used and how this image could become such a popular form of documentation. Curator: Yes! The photo acts as both an artifact and an agent, shaping perspectives and contributing to a larger historical narrative that we can engage with even today. Editor: Thank you! That was incredibly insightful! I'll definitely be thinking about materiality in a new light from now on.