Groepsportret van medewerkers van Schaefer's Sprookjesstad Lilliput c. 1920 - 1940

This photograph of Schaefer's Lilliput Revue, probably made in the early 20th century, shows a group of performers, a collection of marks and gestures. The sepia tones give a dreamy feel, like an old memory, and the subjects are presented like a deck of cards. The light catches on the edges of each figure, giving them a halo effect, which is particularly effective in the feathered head-dresses. If you look closely, you can almost feel the texture of their costumes; the velvety surface of the ringmaster’s jacket, the shimmering beads on the flapper dresses, the soft pile of the clown’s painted face. It reminds me of the kind of staged photographs by James Van Der Zee, but with a kind of unsettling twist. It’s as if everyone is looking in different directions, towards different futures, or perhaps even different pasts. The photograph doesn't give us any answers, and that’s kind of the point. It’s about posing questions, not resolving them.