Portret van drie onbekende jonge mannen c. 1890 - 1930

Curator: Henri Bickhoff created this photographic portrait, "Portret van drie onbekende jonge mannen," sometime between 1890 and 1930. It's quite captivating, don't you think? Editor: Yes, there's a remarkable stoicism about it. The subdued sepia tones and the rigid postures suggest a very particular social performance being documented here. You almost feel the weight of their coats, their collars, the constraints of societal expectation! Curator: Exactly. I'm intrigued by the physical making of it. Photography at that time demanded a degree of craft in preparing the plates, developing the image, and ultimately producing prints. Each step involves physical labor and a dialogue with the materials at hand. I would be interested to know what type of emulsion was used here, and whether Bickhoff was manipulating the print itself for tonal effect. Editor: Looking at it through a historical lens, I can’t help but think about the evolving role of photography in shaping social identities. Studio portraits like this became increasingly accessible to the middle classes, enabling them to visually construct and disseminate a public image. Note the location imprinted on the bottom - "H. Bickhoff, Spui, Amsterdam" indicating a growing culture around urban photography studios. Curator: I'm drawn to the specific construction of each of their outfits. The fabric, cut, and finish reflect their status and the prevailing social codes. Who wove the cloth? What were their working conditions like? This image presents layers of manufacturing labor before it even arrived in the studio. Editor: True, but their careful selection and curation were central to the construction of social identity during that time. The fashion clearly signals their affiliation to particular bourgeois groups, echoing evolving political norms, artistic movements, and emergent consumer behaviors. It shows the image very intentionally staged for wider social consumption. Curator: Ultimately, photography is a means of material and social reproduction. Editor: Indeed. "Portret van drie onbekende jonge mannen" functions on both material and public historical planes. Fascinating!