Portret van een onbekende man in klederdracht van Middelburg, Zeeland 1860 - 1890

Curator: Isn't it remarkable how much a single image can tell us? This gelatin-silver print, dating from about 1860 to 1890, is entitled "Portret van een onbekende man in klederdracht van Middelburg, Zeeland." The artist remains unknown, adding to the mystique. Editor: He's got such a stern look! I initially read it as severe, but the more I stare, the more playful I perceive him. It’s as if he’s acting out a role from a story, one foot forward like he is ready to take the stage. Curator: Costume is key, as dress immediately indicates status, trade, region of origin. The Zeeland costume he wears certainly has echoes of that self-aware performance, particularly for a citizen of Middelburg in that era. By this period, many regional dress codes had begun to fade; it speaks to the conscious choice of preservation. The hat…what does that signal to you? Editor: A sense of civic pride? A little wink to tradition while still being quite fashionable. But thinking of this "acting out", a more poignant story emerges – a clinging to identity. Or perhaps a carefully crafted memory, staged against the coming changes to his city and country. Curator: Perhaps it is a deliberate act of memorializing. As you noted at the beginning, despite its formality, there's a fascinating ambiguity to this piece, which I suspect will hold new stories for those willing to linger longer. What do you see lingering over? Editor: Definitely the hat. And the very obvious care that went into keeping his regional identity intact while everything around him modernized, even at the expense of feeling very stiff to current eyes. I would have loved to have heard his side of things. Curator: Indeed. He prompts reflection on both historical record and personal narrative – and invites empathy across time, across the photographic plate. Editor: Definitely food for thought, if we can look past the formal staging. Makes me think of my own sartorial choices – and what they inadvertently signal to others.