Onbekende collega's van Isabel Wachenheimer tijdens haar periode bij KLM tijdens een feestje en Isabel Wachenheimer, 1947-1955, Israël 1947 - 1955

Editor: So this photograph, "Unknown colleagues of Isabel Wachenheimer during her time at KLM during a party and Isabel Wachenheimer," is a gelatin-silver print, placing it sometime between 1947 and 1955. It's a rather charming snapshot, but also feels quite staged. What's your read on a piece like this, particularly as a photograph seemingly capturing a candid moment within a larger, perhaps, institutional context? Curator: It’s interesting that you pick up on that staged quality. To me, these images speak to the carefully curated image of corporations like KLM in the post-war era. Note how everyone is dressed and behaving. How does this image contribute to the airline’s image and broader narrative that KLM was projecting at that time? Editor: That's a really insightful point, I hadn't considered the performative aspect of corporate culture in that era. I was focused on the 'party' element but framing it as part of KLM's public image definitely shifts the perception. Does the unknown nature of most of the subjects complicate interpreting the photographer's intentions or societal impact? Curator: Absolutely, but the very anonymity also reinforces the idea of collective identity within the corporation. This could be anybody in the KLM orbit, but it also shows that fitting in with the KLM social scene, by displaying signs of merriment such as toasting champagne or partaking in general chat, may very well have been key to promotion. These images offer clues of societal and company behavioural expectations, don't you think? Editor: Definitely! Considering it as a kind of 'company morale' visual, like corporate propaganda... I see it differently now! Curator: Indeed! It highlights how even casual photography served, and continues to serve, certain agendas and power dynamics within institutions. A slice of photojournalistic and public relations. Editor: That’s given me a completely new perspective on what might seem like an innocuous party snap. Thanks!