Else Wachenheimer-Moos als jong meisje in zuid-Duitse klederdracht, met een gevuld mandje in haar armen 1891 - 1901

This photograph was created by Samson & Co. in Stuttgart. It shows a young girl dressed in South German traditional costume, holding a basket. The photograph itself, a product of skilled darkroom technique, is the most obvious material here. Yet look closer, and you’ll notice the labor involved in producing the garments. The girl’s clothing is replete with handwork – embroidery, weaving, and the meticulous arrangement of trimmings. The textiles are a clue: they speak of folk traditions, a desire to preserve a visual culture, and the industriousness of women in the home. Samson & Co.’s photograph captures not just an image, but a whole world of making. The studio carefully arranges the subject, but equally important is the web of craft and tradition that produced the clothing. By attending to these details, we see how much more there is to an image than first meets the eye.