Aan boord van een boot bij een bruiloft of feest c. 1903 - 1908

Geldolph Adriaan Kessler captured this moment on board a boat during a wedding or celebration with a camera, a relatively new technology at the time. Kessler, who lived through both World Wars, often depicted scenes from Dutch daily life. Here, we see women in elaborate hats and dresses, the height of fashion of the time. In Dutch society, class distinctions were clearly visible in the way people presented themselves and how they spent their leisure time. These women, likely part of the middle or upper class, are enjoying a special event, a visual marker of their social standing. There's a formality and restraint in their posture, reflective of the social expectations placed on women of that era. The photograph offers a glimpse into a world where celebrations were carefully orchestrated displays of social identity, and where the simple act of attending a wedding became a statement of belonging and status.