Personen, vermoedelijk trein- of bootconducteurs, voor een gebouw before 1894

Curator: Looking at this photograph, which is simply titled "Personen, vermoedelijk trein- of bootconducteurs, voor een gebouw" we believe was taken before 1894 by Hendrik Herman van den Berg, the sepia tones create an interesting mood. It looks like a candid snapshot capturing an outdoor scene next to a building. Editor: It's funny you use the word "candid" – to my eye, that quality of seeming caught unawares gives it its potency. I see so much encoded in how those figures pose themselves against the building. Curator: Right? I’m struck by the figures themselves. Presumably uniformed workers – train or boat conductors – set against this solid brick building. We can assume they’re mostly men, as expected for the roles at that time, positioned at the liminal space of entrance. It suggests the hierarchies of labor. It sparks many questions about who is allowed to go inside, and the societal constructs defining the possibilities. Editor: It does suggest hierarchies! I immediately notice the light fixture bracket and shadow on the bricks, sort of frozen at this right angle, emphasizing formality. Is it an optical illusion, or are those architectural ornaments across the roofline of a nautical sort of decoration, maybe? This could hint at movement, travel, which would align nicely if the men are in transportation. It almost acts as a repeated symbol on the facade. Curator: I agree about the possible naval symbols! That brings a level of understanding to the idea of transport that resonates really well here, particularly when reflecting on nineteenth-century port cities, it suggests global interchange. I imagine class and gender norms affected mobility, even for conductors whose employment implies travel! What’s fascinating is how photography itself, emerging then as more available and democratized art form, both reinforced and questioned existing systems of representation. Editor: Exactly. The sword the woman is carrying and her stance could tell us much, the meaning of her garment and place next to a servant, perhaps? This photography freezes the narrative so the composition itself becomes telling. Do we see in this image encoded social strata through symbols related to travel and standing near a building? What happens for those outside its doors and possibilities? I wonder, could Van den Berg, in capturing such everyday urban theatre, have suspected at the complex layers it holds for viewers now? Curator: Yes. It encapsulates a historical moment in the development of social norms. Editor: Definitely thought-provoking!