Echtpaar Berti Hoppe en Herman Besselaar tijdens hun vakantie in Nederland 1930 - 1931

Berti Hoppe captured this photo of herself and Herman Besselaar during their holiday in the Netherlands. These framed photographs, carefully arranged, offer a glimpse into a personal narrative set against the backdrop of early 20th-century Holland. We see Berti and Herman, possibly a romantic couple, positioned in front of iconic Dutch scenes: windmills, harbors, and cityscapes. The act of photographing themselves in these settings speaks to the desire to inscribe their identities within the cultural landscape of the Netherlands, even as same sex relationships were still heavily stigmatized. Who were Berti Hoppe and Herman Besselaar? What was the nature of their relationship? This collection of images invites us to consider how identities are performed and asserted in the face of societal expectations. In the quiet stillness of these images, we can reflect on how individuals seek connection, visibility, and validation in a world that often seeks to silence or erase them.