Edith Jetten voor het huis te Moengo 1925 - 1927

Curator: This is a gelatin silver print entitled "Edith Jetten voor het huis te Moengo." It's dated sometime between 1925 and 1927. Editor: I'm immediately drawn to the woman's almost breezy lightness against the stoic backdrop of the house; it feels like she's caught in a momentary dance with history itself. There is such stillness. Curator: It is interesting to think of it in that way. Moengo in this period has significance in relation to Suriname’s complex colonial history, and specifically in regard to resource extraction by the Dutch. Considering that, I’m keen to know if you believe the neutrality or even "stillness" you noted is impacted? Editor: Absolutely, my feeling now is different when seeing it from this perspective. This isn't just a woman in front of a house; it's a layered image hinting at power dynamics. I wonder, did she understand the implications herself? Her gaze seems rather light; it makes one think of class disparities. Curator: That’s insightful. Considering gender too, perhaps her lightness is itself a carefully performed role, masking a deeper understanding, or perhaps naiveté within a difficult historical situation. There’s also the composition, the rigid lines of the house almost seem to cage her, perhaps reflecting limitations placed on women's lives within a colonial context. Editor: I like this idea, thinking of the photograph in this way. But there’s something else tugging at me, what about the shadow in her hand—what could that be holding for us? A secret to tell? Or perhaps she is a fleeting moment captured through our gaze and that tells more about who we are in this moment now reflecting back upon that in history. Curator: Indeed. These older images always hold an allure, as they require us to remember ourselves even more closely so we may interpret with greater nuance and attention to issues in these eras that impact our current worldviews today. Editor: Exactly, thank you—as a gesture or a memory, maybe she simply reminds us to keep dancing.