Groepsportret van Gesiena Piek, Louise Maria Fellinger en een onbekende vrouw 1889 - 1893

Editor: Here we have a gelatin silver print dating from between 1889 and 1893: 'Groepsportret van Gesiena Piek, Louise Maria Fellinger en een onbekende vrouw,' or a group portrait of those three women. It's definitely a formal photograph, but there's a certain warmth there. I’m curious—what story do you think it tells? Curator: Oh, it's like stepping into a forgotten parlor! I see three distinct personalities posing against what appears to be a somewhat overgrown garden – the blurring there really softens the architecture in the background. There's such formality, but also a shared history that’s almost palpable in the way they're grouped. Almost a visual representation of their intertwined lives. Does it strike you that way at all? Editor: I get what you mean about intertwined lives. The woman in the center seems to have a subtle, knowing smile, almost as if she knows a secret the others don't! And the starkness of the gelatin silver really contrasts with the intimate subject matter, in a way that draws me in. Curator: Precisely! That contrast, that tension – it's where the magic happens, isn't it? The technical precision juxtaposed with this palpable sense of private joy among companions…it creates a rather wonderful friction, wouldn’t you agree? The stark medium seems to suggest at lives well-lived and persevered through harsher circumstances, the joy becomes an almost subversive act. Editor: I never would have thought of it that way! Now it makes the picture more interesting. I definitely see the friendship between them. Curator: These old photos are such beautiful, tender records of connection. Seeing them always feels a bit like a visit from dear friends or family, from way back when!