De familie Kohnstamm-Kessler in een auto op landgoed 'de Pauw' in Wassenaar 1913

Curator: So, here we have a photograph from 1913, currently residing here at the Rijksmuseum. It's entitled "The Kohnstamm-Kessler Family in a Car on the 'De Pauw' Estate in Wassenaar." Editor: Ah, the dawn of the automobile! Everyone piled in, ready for a Sunday jaunt. It’s like a snapshot of freedom… if freedom came with a chauffeur. There’s almost a Wes Anderson vibe with the slightly melancholic formality, isn't there? Curator: Interesting observation. Looking at the social context, automobile ownership was still relatively new and exclusive in 1913, indicative of wealth and social status. Estate "De Pauw," belonged to Geldolph Adriaan Kessler, suggesting this is a document of the elite leisure. Note also the style of photography; its composition shares aesthetics with the landscape and pictorialist movements. Editor: The image quality itself gives it this antique romance. Everyone looks so serious but I can’t help but invent all sorts of little anecdotes that made everyone crack up once the photo was over. Also the angle somehow is unsettling for me - it's like as if we are intruding from another timeline! Curator: Well, this is an era where photographic portraiture carried significant weight; stiff poses and formal compositions reinforced social norms and identity. Consider how the rise of photography intersected with class aspirations. Early photographs provide insights to a world where status could be documented and projected. The automobile becomes both a symbol of progress and exclusivity. Editor: The woman in the white dress by the side is interesting. She looks kind of detached to the cheerful ride, right? Like a mysterious guardian of the family. Makes me want to learn her own story! Curator: That sense of personal narrative woven around historical facts is so important. What seems like a simple snapshot encapsulates vast cultural shifts and human relations. Editor: Exactly! Makes me want to dig up their playlists and mixtapes to fill up the family vibe, somehow! Curator: A powerful reminder how photography can unlock many different perspectives over time, providing a lens into society. Editor: It's more like time travel, really! Okay, let’s put on the gas, I’d say, and move to another trip now!