Vier personen in een zeilboot, vermoedelijk ter hoogte van Le Moulleau bij Arcachon 1897

This is a photograph of four people in a sailboat, probably taken near Le Moulleau in Arcachon. Though the date is unknown, we can use it to understand social life in France at the time. Images like this one tell us about leisure activities among the middle classes in France. Note the clothing. These are not laborers out for a day’s fishing. These are people enjoying their free time. The hats and suit jackets signal a desire to see and be seen in specific ways. One woman’s headgear stands out, a feathered turban announcing a certain social status and wealth. What is the public role of photographs like this one? It exists in the archive of the Rijksmuseum, preserved as a glimpse into the past. But what does it tell us? What does it leave out? By researching photographs like these, along with other sources, such as newspapers or personal letters, historians can gain insight into French society and culture.