Duitse militairen 1940 - 1945

Editor: Here we have a photograph titled "Duitse militairen," or "German Soldiers," dating from 1940 to 1945, taken by an anonymous photographer. It's a gelatin-silver print. The composition is striking; it's actually two different snapshots affixed to a grey album page. It gives this feeling of intrusion or documentation. How do you see this piece? Curator: I see a confluence of factors related to the production and consumption of photographic imagery during wartime. Think about the materiality of a gelatin-silver print: mass-producible, relatively inexpensive, and readily disseminated. Photography becomes a tool of both state control and personal expression for those with access to the means of image production. Editor: So the method of image production is important. But it seems pretty casual. How does that fit in? Curator: Exactly. On one hand, the photograph reinforces a controlled narrative around military life. But look at the two images - consider the context and raw materials necessary to make the photograph, especially during wartime scarcity. It reveals not just the official image but also something about the resources available, or not, to the average soldier and, consequently, hints at the everyday, lived experience, as well as how war touched raw materials themselves. Does that make sense? Editor: That is really interesting. It is not just what the photo depicts but the photo as object and product. I'd never thought of analyzing a picture that way before! Curator: Precisely. Thinking materially about photography opens up new avenues to understanding social and political forces during wartime. Editor: I see that now. Thanks! This has helped me understand how everyday resources impacted life in those times and how images were used for control, but also how making an image speaks to resources as well.