Kinderen bij het toegangshek van Artis 1900 - 1906

Curator: What strikes me is the stillness of the children, despite all the implied excitement of a trip to the zoo. It’s like a freeze-frame from a lively silent movie. Editor: It’s remarkable, isn’t it? We’re looking at “Children at the Entrance Gate of Artis,” a gelatin-silver print by A.C. Bruyn, taken sometime between 1900 and 1906. The photo depicts a group of people, mostly children, gathered outside the entrance to the Artis Zoo in Amsterdam. Curator: Gelatin-silver, huh? That explains the rich, sepia tones that give it that beautiful nostalgic glow. And framing it as a stereograph! Were they selling these to tourists, do you think? Instant mementos of a day at the zoo? Editor: Precisely! Stereographs were incredibly popular. And I suspect images like these, showing children from different social classes mingling—note the varying attire— served to promote Artis as a democratizing force in society. A space for all, regardless of background. Curator: Interesting. To me, it's about the faces. Look at the children; their expressions are guarded. Are they excited, apprehensive, or just incredibly well-behaved for a photograph? There's a quiet dignity in their poses that transcends the social commentary. It almost feels like a portrait commission, or even a snapshot of early-renaissance realism, where stillness and pose mattered as much as the image it captured. Editor: I think it is the blend of formality and anticipation that gives it its charm. The rigid composition of the gate, mirrored on each half of the sterograph, adds a sense of order and stability, which creates a fascinating contrast with the dynamic of this moment: this pause before the animals appear. The controlled framing also speaks to the prevailing ideas about childhood, the idealization of youth... Curator: Hmmm. So many kids... and look at those bonnets, so typical for its time. It almost makes you wonder about who brought all these children and for what exact occasion? I want to step through the image into their time and find out what they experienced, or thought. It certainly opens a lot of avenues into the past. Editor: I agree. It provides a rich window into both personal experience and societal values from a century ago. Curator: Well, thanks to this, I think I'm adding the Artis Zoo to my list of places I have to see when in Amsterdam, don't you think? Editor: Absolutely. Let’s go.