Vondelpark in de sneeuw, Amsterdam Possibly 1892

Editor: This photograph, titled "Vondelpark in de sneeuw, Amsterdam," possibly from 1892, by Sigmund Löw, is a gelatin-silver print and it's interesting to observe this early landscape photography. I am curious as to the narrative of this captured moment, seemingly simple, and what its cultural and social role may be. How do you read into this quiet and frozen scenery? Curator: I see a layering of class and societal control embedded within what appears to be a serene winter landscape. Consider the Vondelpark itself: originally built in the mid-19th century for the elite, designed to emulate English gardens, creating the illusion of pastoral freedom while maintaining social order. How does photography at the time allow that narrative to be seen in the context of colonialism, industrialism and evolving notions of leisure? Editor: So, the choice to depict the park wasn't arbitrary? Curator: Absolutely not. Note the two figures strolling. How might their social standing be communicated to the public through dress or gesture, within this newly accessible, yet implicitly regulated, space? Consider the swan—a symbol of purity but also of aristocratic pretension. Is Löw perhaps commenting, intentionally or otherwise, on the performance of leisure and the invisible boundaries within this "public" space? What's absent is as crucial as what's present; there aren't many working class persons featured here in this moment in time. Editor: I hadn't thought about the figures and swan in relation to social class… The composition feels staged, in a way, reinforcing those boundaries. Thank you, this has completely shifted how I view this work! Curator: Examining historical narratives with contemporary theoretical frameworks enables us to understand photographs like this more thoroughly as culturally-charged images.