Portret van twee onbekende kinderen 1887 - 1896

Editor: This albumen print from somewhere between 1887 and 1896 by Godfried de Jong, called “Portret van twee onbekende kinderen,” or, "Portrait of two unknown children" really strikes me. There's this melancholy in their eyes, especially the one seated. What's your read on this photograph? Curator: Melancholy... that's a good word for it! I see a very particular kind of composed stillness. In those days, photography was such a deliberate process, a commitment of time. And think of the clothes they’re wearing! Lace and leather. Those sturdy little boots! But look at the elder child's hand, how gently it rests on the younger one’s arm. There's affection there, a shared experience being captured, isn’t there? Editor: Yes, you’re right! That small gesture of holding hands slipped by me before, maybe a signal of protection, of intimacy, almost defying the somber context that dictated these photo sessions? I guess my attention was drawn by the serious gaze of the two children; a direct way to relate with the camera. Do you know more about portrait photography back then? Curator: Exactly! It's like they are sharing a secret, despite the rigid formality of the setting. And in those days, studios like Godfried de Jong, "Kon. Ned. Hofphotograaf”--official photographer to the Royal Dutch court –were meticulously crafting identities, shaping perceptions for posterity. It makes you wonder, doesn't it, about the lives beyond this staged moment, lost to time, preserved only in these beautiful faded sepia tones. Editor: This really does deepen my appreciation for the stories these images hold, seen in this light. It also makes you think of all the lost portraits or pictures... it opens a new, more melancholic perspective!