Groepsportret van vijf studenten 1887

This is a photograph of five students by Israël David Kiek. Though undated, we can assume it was made in the Netherlands sometime in the late 19th century. What can we say about the social conditions that shaped its production? Well, the image presents a particular idea of masculinity. The three-piece suits and hats denote the sitters' affluence. The accoutrements of the man to the left – the walking stick and the seated position – mark him as the group’s leader. The clean-shaven faces and carefully styled hair contrast strongly with, say, images of labourers from the same period. We may even wonder about the identity of the one non-white student in the group. Do we see here an image that subtly comments on the Netherlands’ colonial holdings? As historians, we should turn to archival sources and the material culture of the time in order to ask and answer these questions. For now, we can be sure that what we are seeing here is a carefully constructed image that is deeply contingent on its social and institutional context.