Ida-Teresa Conti en Han Harloff op hun bruiloft, Londen Possibly 1932 - 1938

This photograph, taken in London on the 10th of August 1932 by an anonymous photographer, captures Ida-Teresa Conti and Han Harloff on their wedding day. In this period, photography had become a fairly accessible technology, yet it still carried a certain weight as a means of preserving important moments. The silver gelatin print process, which likely produced this image, required careful control of chemical reactions and skilled darkroom practice. The tonal range achieved speaks to the photographer’s expertise. Consider the clothing; the fabrics and tailoring represent a certain social class and access to specialized labor. The dress, likely machine-printed, hints at the increasing industrialization of textiles. Even the act of commissioning a photograph speaks to a desire to document and solidify social status. Therefore, the image invites us to consider the social context embedded in its making, challenging notions of photography as a purely documentary medium.