Koninginnedag 1905 op het Gouvernementsplein bij buiten-sociëteit Het Park, Paramaribo Possibly 1905 - 1931

Curator: Let’s turn our attention to a fascinating gelatin silver print, "Koninginnedag 1905 op het Gouvernementsplein bij buiten-sociëteit Het Park, Paramaribo," attributed to Eugen Klein and estimated to have been made sometime between 1905 and 1931. Editor: Oh, immediately I'm struck by the stillness, a sort of solemn pride in the faces of the subjects. The contrast between the formal European dress in the back and the…rawness, I guess, of the Indigenous clothing is really arresting. Like two worlds briefly sharing a stage. Curator: It is powerful, isn’t it? Consider the photographic medium itself—the specific qualities of a gelatin silver print—its role in constructing and disseminating colonial narratives, the way in which Eugen Klein perhaps sought to categorize and document this event. Editor: It almost feels… performative. The deliberate arrangement, the contrast you mentioned, the posed nature of the subjects. Like a stage set displaying a tableau vivant of cultural difference. Curator: Absolutely, the image likely functioned within circuits of imperial consumption, catering to European audiences eager to see these representations of colonial subjects. The formal gathering on Koninginnedag, Queen's Day, speaks to displays of imperial power and allegiance. The social dynamics at play here are embedded in labor, power, and material display. Editor: There is also such dignity and resilience in the faces. They seem fully aware of being looked at. Do you think Klein knew that his audience in Europe perhaps couldn't begin to grasp what was at play in Paramaribo? What does it really mean to "perform" culture for a lens held by colonizers? A lot, and maybe a little, I guess. Curator: And this moment, captured on film and then reproduced on gelatin silver, circulates globally, shifting its meaning with each viewing and encounter. Editor: Thinking about Klein, what are the hands behind making art, always informs and sometimes dictates it's meaning for sure. Curator: It makes me consider how photography's promises of objective documentation often conceal power dynamics and embedded social structures. Editor: This picture feels like it's less about a specific queen's birthday celebration and more about capturing the layered narratives of colonialism, visibility, and resistance.