Poort van de Burcht van Leiden 1882 - 1914

Editor: Here we have Hendrik Jonker’s "Poort van de Burcht van Leiden," taken between 1882 and 1914. It's an albumen print, so the tones are incredibly rich and warm. It gives the scene this feeling of a very still, solid, and perhaps a very masculine space. What do you see in this piece? Curator: This photograph presents us with more than just a gate. It’s a representation of power, isn’t it? The very architecture, captured during a time of great social and political change, embodies an older, more patriarchal order. Notice the stoicism of the figures compared to the stone façade, silent witnesses to shifting societal structures. Who benefits from this stability? Editor: I see your point. The architecture does seem imposing and enduring. Do you think the artist was making a statement, then? Curator: Perhaps subtly. Jonker, whether consciously or not, immortalizes a Leiden that was rapidly evolving. Consider the context: burgeoning industrialization, calls for social reform. Photography itself was becoming more accessible, democratizing image-making, challenging traditional power structures in art. Isn't this stoic image therefore, somewhat complicit in preserving an existing order, if not entirely celebrating it? What voices do you think are not represented? Editor: That’s fascinating! I never considered the act of documentation itself as taking a stance. So maybe, by photographing it, Jonker, either celebrated, or was quietly questioning the societal landscape of the time by what the photograph excludes. Curator: Exactly. This isn’t merely a picture of a gate; it's a historical and social document ripe for interrogation. What did you learn? Editor: It's shown me how photographs also exclude. They present power dynamics by representing whose voices get to be shared. Thanks for showing me that. Curator: Indeed, every image holds a mirror to not only its subject, but the society that created it. A perspective that changes the act of image taking completely.