Kijkje in een der magazijnen van het Kolenbedrijf 1921 - 1922

Editor: This gelatin silver print, titled "Kijkje in een der magazijnen van het Kolenbedrijf," offers a glimpse into what seems to be a coal company warehouse in the early 1920s. The stark realism of the scene—all those machines under a high ceiling—it feels both grand and strangely desolate. What's your interpretation of this work? Curator: It’s fascinating how photography, initially embraced for its objectivity, so readily became a tool for shaping perceptions. Consider the historical context: the rise of industry, labor movements, and burgeoning notions of progress all framed through specific aesthetic lenses. The photographer, although anonymous, chose this specific viewpoint, angle and framing. Why? Editor: I suppose the high vantage point emphasizes the sheer scale of the machinery and the warehouse, which might suggest power, industrial might, even. But also, there are very few humans in the picture, the photograph is centered around industrial infrastructure and machinery. Curator: Precisely. The near absence of the workers humanizes the space. Consider, what sociopolitical function could the image fulfill? Who was the intended audience, and how might they have received this staged, depopulated image of production? Also consider the still life style which might connote how safe industrial progress can be, while erasing laborers' perspectives and bodies from the narrative of progress. Editor: So it’s not just a picture of a warehouse, it is more or less an argument for industrial expansion! This also seems to sanitize and even celebrate that process. It's powerful to consider the unseen layers behind a seemingly straightforward photograph. Thank you. Curator: Indeed! Thinking about photography not just as documentation, but as an active participant in shaping cultural values—that's key to understanding its historical role and social impact.