Bruid en bruidegom kleden zich uit in de slaapkamer c. 1870 - 1890

Editor: Here we have a stereo card photograph titled "Bruid en bruidegom kleden zich uit in de slaapkamer," or "Bride and groom undressing in the bedroom," created around 1870-1890 by Eugène Hanau. There's a delicate awkwardness in the scene that really strikes me. What’s your take? Curator: Delicate awkwardness... I love that. For me, it's a fly-on-the-wall moment, a little peek behind the curtain, or rather, the lace canopy bedspread! Think about what’s *not* being shown, the intimacy just *before* this very carefully posed tableau. What's Paris whispering about at the time, I wonder? It’s almost like the beginning of a Victorian-era rom-com, isn't it? Editor: Absolutely! There's such a formality that heightens the implied…messiness, somehow. The groom is taking off his jacket; the bride, fiddling with her gown...It feels so staged, and that makes me think about the act of performing romance. Curator: Exactly! It’s performative! Like those tiny porcelain figurines you'd find on a mantelpiece. Hanau freezes that tension just before... well, we can only imagine. But even though they’re stiff, these romantic-era touches spark the imagination – does that resonate with you? Editor: It does, actually! I was initially put off by how posed it was, but thinking about the romance aspect...it adds a whole other layer! Curator: To me, it is interesting that by embracing these romantic notions of love and marriage within very careful construction, Hanau’s work ends up being more, rather than less interesting. This staged intimacy offers insights on both the individual level and the broader cultural moment. What a wonderfully complex medium photography is! Editor: Absolutely. It’s amazing how a staged photograph can still reveal so much truth.