Inzegening van het huwelijk van prinses Juliana en prins Bernhard in de St. Jacobskerk in Den Haag, 7 januari 1937 Possibly 1937

Erich Salomon captured the wedding of Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard in the St. Jacobskerk in Den Haag on January 7, 1937, using a camera, of course. Imagine being Salomon in that moment. The flashbulb pops, freezing this moment in time. All those faces, rows and rows of them, watching the couple at the center of the frame. What kind of pressure must he have felt? Did he try to blend in or did he want to get as close as possible? I wonder if anyone told him to keep quiet or move out of the way. Did he feel like an intruder? You can see the way light falls on the princess' dress. The photo is really just a study of light and shadow. Salomon invites us to witness this formal event, a carefully staged performance of power. The photograph immortalizes this event as a historical record, but for Salomon, it was also likely just another day at work.