Vier foto's van een vakantie in Noordwijk 1911 - 1918

Editor: So, here we have "Vier foto's van een vakantie in Noordwijk"—Four Photos from a Holiday in Noordwijk—taken by Carolina (Loentje) Frederika Onnen, sometime between 1911 and 1918. They are albumen prints, so photography, but also something handmade... and almost like a relic from a distant era. It feels intimate, almost like flipping through someone’s family album. How would you interpret these images? Curator: For me, the material reality of the albumen print is key. We’re not just looking at photographs; we're looking at objects made with specific chemical processes. Albumen printing, popular then, required meticulous work with egg whites and silver nitrate. The labor embedded within the process reveals the societal value placed on capturing and preserving memories during this period. Editor: Interesting. So you are saying the materials used were as important as the final photos themselves? Curator: Precisely. Think about it. These weren’t mass-produced digital files. Each print required hands-on crafting. The muted tones aren’t just an aesthetic choice; they’re a consequence of the materials and techniques available. And who was performing this labor? What resources were readily available and accessible to those crafting them? Editor: It's fascinating to consider the economics and technology involved in making these photographs accessible during this era. It goes beyond just taking a snapshot. Curator: Exactly. Even the act of placing them in an album highlights the effort to organize and contextualize personal narratives within a specific social framework. Were they consciously emulating painted portraiture with the way the sitter is posed? Considering those processes makes the work richer, more meaningful. Editor: That makes so much sense! Thinking about the labor and resources needed highlights the value and exclusivity these photos possessed. I never would have considered the "material life" of a photograph! Curator: Precisely, seeing the process gives the final artifact so much more life.