War: Germany. Berlin. Prussian Guard Regiment: Life in a Regiment of the Prussian Guard: Preparing for Inspection. c. 1903

Curator: Waldemar Titzenthaler's photograph, "War: Germany. Berlin. Prussian Guard Regiment: Life in a Regiment of the Prussian Guard: Preparing for Inspection" presents a regiment working in almost a manufacturing mode, preparing their uniforms. Editor: It's oddly intimate for a military scene, isn't it? Like a behind-the-scenes glimpse where the romance of war fades into the mundane reality of labor. Curator: I agree. It highlights the means of production. It brings to mind a workshop as much as a military barrack. Each person is doing the crucial, but unglamorous work of producing perfect uniforms. Editor: Exactly, and it makes you consider: who makes the war? Not just the generals, but the ones meticulously sewing and polishing, too. Curator: Right, it reframes our perspective. Maybe the true weight of this work resides in its meticulous, repetitive nature. Editor: Maybe we see how even in preparation, war extracts a heavy toll in labor and routine. Curator: And through this photograph we can see how the spectacle is constructed. Editor: Indeed, a photograph that reveals as much as it conceals.