Gondel met vrouwen op de wereldtentoonstelling in St. Louis (Louisiana Purchase Exposition), 1904 1904

Editor: This albumen print, titled "Gondel met vrouwen op de wereldtentoonstelling in St. Louis (Louisiana Purchase Exposition), 1904," was captured by Jan Schüller in 1904. It shows a gondola with several women drifting on water, with an exhibition palace as the background. The photograph gives me an overall feeling of nostalgia. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: Nostalgia is spot-on! To me, this image whispers stories of a world on the cusp of change. Look closely; Schüller isn’t just documenting, he's crafting a scene. He invites us to imagine ourselves drifting in that gondola. Do you get a sense of the photographer framing a utopic snapshot, against the background of an orientalist building style? It gives us a clue about the Western fantasy about other cultures and the exotic, back then. Editor: Yes, I see what you mean, a carefully curated moment rather than just a snapshot. And I recognize the architectural elements and their relationship with that perceived exoticism. How did the choice of material inform this work? Curator: Ah, the albumen print! The technique infuses the scene with warmth, softness. There's a dreaminess, don’t you think? Also, you have to recognize the time that Schüller invested in a piece like this. I guess that is why he added some hand-touching himself... How else could the highlights on the towers of the exposition palace come through this much, and the water shimmer like it does? Also, albumen was used quite a lot at the time. So maybe it represents more of the Zeitgeist. It makes me wonder how digital photography changes what we remember and record nowadays! Editor: That’s a good point! I now realize that the materiality, together with Schüller’s focus on detail, tells an interesting story about his personal experiences. Thank you for opening my eyes. Curator: Absolutely, thinking about the photographer behind the lens always helps bring the work to life. It has for me as well!