Echtpaar Jetten op een rivierboot 1925 - 1927

This photograph, titled *Echtpaar Jetten op een rivierboot* and made by an anonymous artist, captures a couple on a riverboat, likely in the early 20th century. It's a modest snapshot, seemingly captured with a simple camera. The photographic process itself, while capable of producing beautiful prints, was already becoming increasingly democratized at this time. Consider the materiality of the photograph: the paper, the emulsion, the darkroom chemicals. This was, and is, a relatively inexpensive and accessible medium, allowing for widespread documentation of everyday life. The photograph offers a glimpse into the social context of river travel and perhaps the leisure activities of the middle class. The amount of work involved in producing the photograph is not intensive, which may be a reason why the photographer is anonymous. The accessibility of photography challenges our traditional understanding of art as something precious and rare. It reminds us that artistic expression can be found in the everyday, in the hands of ordinary people.