Drie portretten van vrouwen, onder wie Marcelle André en Jane Hading 1900 - 1930

This is a page from a photo album by Ch. Reutlinger, and the different images give a sense of how performative photography has always been. Look at the way each subject is styled, the costumes, the hair, how carefully each pose is orchestrated to present a certain image. It’s a reminder that photographs don't just capture reality, they construct it. Think about the ways we use filters and poses today, it’s not so different. There’s a sense of theater to them, like characters in a play, they're aware of the camera, and they're playing to it. I'm reminded of Cindy Sherman’s "Untitled Film Stills", each photograph tells a story, but leaves plenty of room for us to imagine what that story might be. Ultimately, it's a reminder that images are never neutral, they're always shaped by the person behind the lens, and the world around them.