Interieur van de winkel van de Deli Courant te Medan 1925 - 1940

Curator: We’re looking at W.T. Uhlenhuth's gelatin-silver print, "Interieur van de winkel van de Deli Courant te Medan," dating roughly between 1925 and 1940. Editor: It's striking how still and almost sepulchral it feels. The muted tones and sharp, geometric lines of the displays give it a rigid formalism. Curator: Indeed. The composition draws your eye along those lines, doesn’t it? Note how the rectangular display cases form a clear grid, mirrored by the ceiling beams, all contained within the photographic frame itself. This structural order is so prominent. Editor: But what are these display cases made of? The wood trim around the glass hints at local hardwoods perhaps. The photograph is as much about what's for sale, but also about the very real physical presence of trade and commerce in this space. Curator: A fair point. The subdued palette works beautifully with the rigid architecture and suggests a connection with Dutch Golden Age still-life aesthetics, even if unintentionally. This enhances the objective and timeless quality of the shot. The play of light through the front windows as the illumination bounces over objects for sale create unique surface treatments. Editor: Though that “objectivity” flattens the whole experience of the retail setting. The lighting looks harsh which, along with the limited tonal range, adds a kind of oppressive atmosphere, reflecting the material constraints perhaps or how everyday commerce operated under colonial administration. Curator: I see it differently. To me the strict orthogonality is precisely about emphasizing the clarity of visual presentation and internal logic. I'm also noticing some of the objects inside the displays and high up near the roof. Globes, framed pictures or posters – an international purview! Editor: I agree with that, yes. Let's not forget what’s beyond the items within reach. What about where all this "stuff" is originating, from manufacturing, raw material extraction, shipping... What kind of labor went into bringing it here? It's easy to romanticize the contents. Curator: It prompts further study; a lot of this is unwritten history! It makes us see this physical place also as a diagram of spatial, but also structural relationships. Editor: Absolutely. It reminds me that while looking at a two-dimensional image we also need to be accounting for an unseen set of systems responsible for constructing even something as seemingly self-contained as this moment.