Baekers fotografeert Tony Artz bij de uitgang van de wereldtentoonstelling in St. Louis (Louisiana Purchase Exposition), 1904 1904

Editor: This gelatin silver print, taken in 1904, shows Tony Artz being photographed at the exit of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis. The photographer is, well, Baekers. It's surprisingly stark; a quiet moment amidst what must have been a bustling world's fair. What do you see in this piece beyond the surface realism? Curator: This photograph offers more than a snapshot of 1904; it's a glimpse into the dynamics of representation at the time. Consider the context: The Louisiana Purchase Exposition celebrated American expansionism shortly after the end of the Philippine-American War. While promoting progress, the fair also served to reassert racial and social hierarchies. Now, thinking about Artz being photographed, how might this image, seemingly innocent, participate in those power dynamics? Editor: That's a good question. I guess it seems like a very typical scene for its time, which almost makes it invisible, but, the way you frame it makes me think about who got to be seen, and how, during events like these. Curator: Exactly. Photography itself was still relatively new, granting the medium considerable authority. Images like these, disseminated widely, constructed and reinforced dominant narratives about identity, progress, and belonging. Consider how the figures are posed, and how that reflects ideas about respectability and social standing. Whose stories are amplified, and whose are erased from the historical record? Editor: That’s a perspective shift, for sure. I had only seen the aesthetic and the period feel but I totally missed its cultural underpinnings and how it participated in bigger systems. Curator: Thinking critically about visual representation forces us to consider the ways in which images uphold or challenge existing power structures. It invites a deeper examination of history through the lens of race, class, and gender. Editor: Right, it's definitely given me more to think about in terms of photographic authority and context. Thanks for broadening my understanding.