Drie zeilschepen, waaronder de Coila, te water met op de achtergrond een landschap met bebouwing c. 1880 - 1900

Editor: This is a photograph entitled "Drie zeilschepen, waaronder de Coila, te water met op de achtergrond een landschap met bebouwing," or "Three sailing ships, including the Coila, at sea with a landscape with buildings in the background," taken by James Adamson sometime between 1880 and 1900. It's a gelatin silver print and what strikes me is how serene and…unpopulated it feels. What are your thoughts when you look at it? Curator: My eye is drawn to how the photographer captures not just a scene, but a moment ripe with socio-economic implications. Consider the rise of leisure culture during this period, fueled by industrial advancements, as most clearly highlighted through the technological innovation involved in this photography. These sailboats represent a burgeoning middle class with the resources to engage in recreational activities. Editor: That’s a good point. The boats and buildings behind them seem quite idyllic. So are you saying the image shows this leisure life as a product of industrial advances? Curator: Precisely. The photographic process itself is a product of industrial chemistry and mass production. Consider also how maritime activities and technologies impact global exchange. This image seems simple but asks some harder questions about economy. Editor: Wow, I didn't even consider the photography *itself* as part of this new development. I suppose I just saw a pretty picture! I have a better sense now of the context behind it and it does make you wonder what stories it has to tell. Curator: Exactly! These images give space for new interpretations on race, class and social status of that era.