The Corean war minister and suite (in front of the army headquarters at Kinchow) Possibly 1895

Curator: Right, let's discuss this fascinating gelatin silver print, possibly from 1895, titled "The Corean war minister and suite (in front of the army headquarters at Kinchow)." What jumps out at you? Editor: The weight of formality. The careful posing, the somber faces… It all suggests a moment deliberately captured, staged even. There’s a stillness that belies the implied context of war. Curator: Absolutely. These staged group portraits were fairly common then, a way to assert control or document hierarchies. The flags, the composition… they tell a very specific story. It’s interesting to notice how different in style these men are dressed! Editor: Those flags specifically capture my attention: it looks as if there is a rising sun featured right behind them. Do you reckon this portrait attempts to legitimizes Korean elites by associating them with Imperial Japanese power structures? It almost feels as if these Japanese insignia function as "official stamps" from a powerful government upon the men portrayed. Curator: That’s a keen insight. And the photograph becomes almost an endorsement. Visually it is evident they have aligned interests. By choosing the site of what I reckon could be army headquarters is significant in the representation of power within this territory. But you wonder who actually initiated it – a Japanese photographer seeking legitimation of their political ambition through collaboration or self representation? Editor: Perhaps both parties saw this visual collaboration as a validation of mutual interest within this territory. We both recognize symbols hold considerable cultural significance – their interpretation, however, constantly adapts to ever shifting power dynamics... Looking at them feels quite melancholic, knowing what’s coming down the historical line. Curator: Yes, a melancholy, yet a stiff one, very formalized. And of course this moment in history would soon be engulfed and overwritten by many complex geopolitical conflicts within Korea and with external forces. Thanks, that gave me much food for thought!