Een onderzoek naar de visuele geschiedenis van vrouwenrechten.
In 2003 werd mijn tv-documentaire over fotografe Eva Besnyö, waaraan ik ruim vier jaar had gewerkt, twee keer op primetime uitgezonden. Met de eerste uitzending keerde Eva (1910-2003) voor even terug in de spotlights, de tweede was korte tijd later, op haar sterfdag.
Vijf jaar speelde zij een prominente rol in mijn leven, minstens een keer per week bezocht ik haar. Dan bespraken we – naast smalltalk – onze fascinaties: fotografie, oorlog, communisme en vrouwenrechten. De fotografie was het medium waaraan we alles ophingen. Oorlog was ons grote schrikbeeld en het communisme het belangrijkste twistpunt. Ik had, na jarenlang als fotograaf te hebben gewerkt in (post-)communistische landen, een grote achterdocht ontwikkeld tegen politieke ideologieën van welke aard dan ook. Eva had, door zich in de late jaren zestig aan te sluiten bij de Dolle Minabeweging, het communisme en haar liefde voor vadertje Stalin omgezet in een feministische ideologie. De terreurdaden van diverse communistische regimes waren eind jaren zestig een open wond in linkse kringen en daardoor vrijwel onbespreekbaar. Wat de Eva-op-leeftijd zo bijzonder maakte, was haar bereidheid om het er alsnog over te hebben en zelfs enige boete te doen.
Ook al was ik wars van politieke ideologieën en ook al was ik geen vrouw, ik beschouwde mijzelf wel als een feminist. Eva lachte daar hartelijk om, maar was het wel met mij eens dat vrouwenrechten zowel een vrouwen- als mannenzaak zijn. Ik weet het zeker: vrouwenemancipatie heeft betrokken mannen nodig. Mijn vader was zo iemand. Jarenlang was hij hoofddocent van de afdeling lhno binnen een grote scholengemeenschap. Het lagere huishoud- en nijverheidsonderwijs (jongens zaten er niet op) was in het middelbaar onderwijs de enige richting van waaruit je niet kon doorstromen. Bijzonder vrouwonvriendelijk en onrechtvaardig, vond mijn vader. Hij bedacht een list: met enige op het oog legale, maar toch licht frauduleuze trucs, wist hij veel meisjes niet alleen aan een lhno- maar ook aan een mavo-3-diploma te helpen. Daarmee konden ze naar mavo-4 en verder. Een aanzienlijk aantal deed dat. Toen ik Eva daarover vertelde, zei ze dat mijn vader een verzetskruisje had moeten krijgen.
De strijd voor vrouwenrechten gaat over de verdeling van de kansen die de samenleving biedt. Voor veel vrouwen om mij heen, ook voor de vier jonge collega’s met wie ik nauw samenwerk, is feminisme een vanzelfsprekendheid. Ook al hoeven ze er zelf niet continu voor te vechten, ze zijn zich bewust van hun kwetsbaarheid.
Eva is al zestien jaar dood en ik ben al een tijdje geen beroepsfotograaf meer. De fotografie is echter gebleven doordat ik foto’s ben gaan verzamelen. Ik kocht, stukje bij beetje en voor kleine bedragen, enkele duizenden vergeten foto’s uit de eerste eeuw van de fotografie. Foto’s gemaakt door grotendeels anonieme fotografen. Daarop staan soms taferelen waarvoor ik in een eerder stadium van mijn beroepsbestaan bereid was mijn leven te wagen.
Ik ging mij verdiepen in de systematiek van hoe (visuele) geschiedenis wordt geschreven en beleefd. Onze samenleving bedient zich van historiografie, we interpreteren het verleden door het vanuit het nu in te vullen. Met die gedachte ging ik niet zozeer het realisme, maar vooral de dromen uit het verleden verzamelen. Ik ging op zoek naar de illusies, verlangens, idealen en leugens die onze voorouders hebben achtergelaten.
Ik was vooral geïnteresseerd in ‘persoonlijke fotografie’; beelden gemaakt door of voor mensen voor eigen gebruik. Deze beelden hebben hun gebruikers overleefd of zijn ooit om andere redenen gaan zwerven. Ze gaven mij een intieme kijk in de geschiedenis. Veel foto’s verbeelden een leugen. Mensen lieten zich niet fotograferen hoe ze waren, maar wie ze zouden willen zijn. De dromen, wensbeelden, noem het illusies, kwamen voort uit zeer verschillende werelddelen en vaak gemaakt onder de meest extreme omstandigheden. Het waren geluksmomenten die enkel op een foto bestonden.
In de computer verwijderde ik stof, krassen en verkleuringen en daarmee ook valse nostalgie. Ik bracht de beelden naar de mediaomstandigheden van de 21ste eeuw en kon mensen die al meer dan honderd jaar dood waren weer in de ogen kijken. Ik kon de beelden daarna aftasten en in- en uitzoomen. Tijdens dat proces gebeurde ook wat anders: de jonge collega’s om mij heen, die daarvoor mijn verzamelwoede meewarig aanschouwden, toonden opeens interesse. Toen ik de beelden dagelijks via sociale media aan de wereld toonde, bleek de belangstelling groot. Ik kreeg steun bij mijn research: uniformen werden herkend, mensen zochten via genealogiesites namen voor mij op, anderen herkenden steden en gebouwen, ik ontving uitnodigingen voor symposia en kreeg ‘vriendschapsverzoeken’ van deskundigen over de hele wereld.
Speurend door al die imaginaire werelden doken bijzondere karakters op, maar het meest in het oog springend waren de prinsessen: jonge vrouwen met een charismatische uitstraling die de dromen van hun tijd en omgeving verbeelden. Ik kwam ze overal tegen. In koloniaal Indië, in Rotterdam rond de eeuwwisseling, in Rusland, in de DDR, in de oorlog, op de kermis, in ziekenzalen, in het weeshuis.
Er ontstond een nieuwe verhaallijn: de prinsessendroom werd de rode draad. Dat verhaal heeft geen documentaire of journalistieke boodschap, ook al hebben de foto’s soms wel die uitstraling. Ze bewijzen niets, behalve dat er zonder dromen geen vooruitgang mogelijk is. Zonder dromen is er ook geen emancipatie.
Wordt vervolgd…
Anonymous lady in a portrait by an also anonymous photographer. Germany, early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer. Germany, 1930s.
Double exposure by the Dutch photographer P. H. van Son made in Natchitoches, Louisiana, USA in the 1910s. In the early 20th century, P. H. van Son, who originated from the town of Oirschot in the province of Brabant, the Netherlands, lived and worked in Louisiana for some years.
Anonymous photographer and models. Unknown country, early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union, Estonia, 1950s.
Anonymous photographer. Christianne P.
German Democratic Republic (DDR) 1950s.
Portrait of an unknown family taken in ‘Snel foto (fast photo) Rembrandt’, Hoogstraat 373, Rotterdam in the early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer and model. Unknown country. 1920s.
Anonymous photographer and family. The Netherlands, early 20th century.
On the 20th of July 1902, in his studio at Gouw 27 in Hoorn, North Holland, the Netherlands, photographer Cornelis M. Bos (1869-1953), took this portrait of Geertje van Albada (Born on the 30th of July 1882- decedent unknown). (thanks to Raymond Frenken)
Anonymous photographer, Naarden, the Netherlands, 1914.
Portrait of an unknown lady by the Dutch photographer P.H. van Son who lived and worked in Natchitoches, Louisiana, USA in the early 1900s. (The American archive of P.H. van Son (both prints and negatives) was rescued recently and is now part of the collection at the studio.)
Anonymous photographer and model, Latvia, early 20th century.
In the early 20th century an anonymous Estonian photographer took this portrait of Aasált Lindale who gave it to a friend to be remembered.
Anonymous photographer and model, Germany early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer and children. The Netherlands, early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer and model. Germany 1939.
Anonymous photographer and models, France early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer and model in an unknown country. Early 20th century.
Portrait of an unknown lady by Adriaan Willem Verschoore de la Houssaije (1896-1981) who was born in Den Bosch and ran a picture studio in Goes, Zeeland, the Netherlands from 1919. This portrait was made in the 1920s.
Anonymous photographer and model in an unknown country.
Anonymous photographer. Germany, 1950s.
Anonymous photographer and model, Germany 1950s.
Anonymous photographer and model, Germany early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer and model, Stuttgart, Germany, early 20th century.
In the year 1881 this portrait of Marie Constance Nathalie Herode was made by photographer L. Cairol, who had his studio at Boulevard Oudinot in Oran, Algeria. (Thanks to Raymond Frenken)
Anonymous photographer, Italy, early 20th century.
Classmate of Nina A. Soviet Union 1950.
Anonymous photographer and model, Soviet Union 1930s.
Photo from an album of an anonymous medical nurse who lived and worked in Scheveningen, the Netherlands in the early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer and model. Soviet Union 1950s.
Anonymous photographer, Germany 1930s.
Anonymous photographer. Unknown lady. Germany, early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer. Passport picture of unknown lady. Germany, early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union, 1950.
Photo given ‘in memory of our friendship’ to school friend Ninuha (Nina) by N. (could be Nadezhda, Natalia, Nina…) Pomytina.
Anonymous photographer and model, Germany early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer, passport photo of an unknown girl. Germany 1950s.
Photo from an album of an anonymous medical nurse who lived and worked in Scheveningen, the Netherlands in the early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer. Family life in Germany, 1960s.
Portrait of an unknown woman by Zacharias D Fraenkel Jr. who was born in 1878 and ran a photo studio at the Ceintuurbaan 123 (near the Ferdinand Bolstraat) Amsterdam around 1920. Little is known about Zacharias Fraenkels life but there are a few photo’s of his hand in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. We do know he was murdered in Auschwitz on the 24th of September 1942.
Photo by Alexander Bassano (1829-1913) who was one of the most successful English photographers of the 19th century owning various studio’s. Between 1859 and 1863 he had a portrait studio at 72 Piccadilly, London West where this carte de visite portrait of Flora MacDonald Rivington was made. Her date of birth in Kolkata, West Bengal, India is unknown, but she died in 1917 in Worthing, West Sussex, England. She was married to the book printer Alexander Rivington (1837-1917) who died one month after she did.
Alexander Bassano made world famous portraits of queen Victoria as well as the portrait of a pointing army general Lord Kitchener that was used in 1914 on a notorious poster saying: ‘Britons, I want you to join your country’s army’. The National Portrait Gallery in London houses the immense archive of the Bassano studio’s and has put more than 46.000 of his portraits online. Not this one :). Flora is the second Bassano portrait in our collection.
Anonymous photographer and ladies, Soviet Union, Belarus, 1930s.
Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union. Picture of Galya Muzheva presented ‘for memory’ to her dear friend Ninochka on the 19th of June 1950.
Picture by an anonymous photographer in an unknown country. Early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer, the Netherlands, 1950s.
Anonymous photographer and model, Soviet Union 1950s.
Anonymous photographer and women, Soviet Union, 1930s.
Anonymous photographer, the Netherlands, 1950s.
Anonymous photographer and model. The Netherlands, 1930s.
Anonymous photographer and model. The Netherlands, early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer and model. Soviet Union 1960s.
Photo by the Amsterdam photographer Hendricus W. J. Bickhoff (1866-1933). Part of a series of 27 photographs telling a staged story on the life in the Amsterdam citizen’s orphanage. (Burgerweeshuis Amsterdam, the building now houses the Amsterdam Museum). It was presented in a leather box to it’s former director J. Stork in 1904.
Anonymous photographer, the Netherlands, early 20th century
Anonymous photographer, mother and child. Unknown country, early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer, East Indies, Batavia (Indonesia, Jakarta) early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer. The Netherlands, early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union 1930s.
Photo by the Amsterdam photographer Hendricus W. J. Bickhoff (1866-1933). Part of a series of 27 photographs telling a staged story on the life in the Amsterdam citizen’s orphanage. (Burgerweeshuis Amsterdam, the building now houses the Amsterdam Museum). It was presented in a leather box to it’s former director J. Stork in 1904.
Anonymous photographer. The Netherlands, Scheveningen, 1910s.
Anonymous photographer and model. Soviet Union, 1950s.
Anonymous photographer and model, Soviet Union, 1950s.
Photo by the Amsterdam photographer Hendricus W. J. Bickhoff (1866-1933). Part of a series of 27 photographs telling a staged story on the life in the Amsterdam citizen’s orphanage. (Burgerweeshuis Amsterdam, the building now houses the Amsterdam Museum). It was presented in a leather box to it’s former director J. Stork in 1904.
Anonymous photographer, Latvia, early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer, United States of America, early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer, Thekla and Heiny, Utrecht, the Netherlands, 19th of August 1919.
Portrait of anonymous woman by Willem Johannes Petrus Muns (1869-1954). This picture was taken at Spui 7, (near Kalverstraat) Amsterdam in the early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union 1960s.
Anonymous photographer and model, United kingdom 1920s.
Anonymous photographer/retouche artist and model. Belgium, early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer and model. The Netherlands, late 19th century.
Anonymous photographer and model, Soviet Union, 1970s.
Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union, 1970s.
Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union, Belarus 1970s.
Anonymous photographer, the Netherlands, early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer and model. The Netherlands, early 20th century.
In 1889 photographer Corine Ingelse (1869-1950) opened her studio at the Westerstaat 11 in Utrecht, the Netherlands where she made this portrait of miss Agnes van Schilperoort. There might be more female photographers among the ‘anonymous artists’ we have posted in this series, but Corine Ingelse might be the only Dutch professional 19th century female photographer of whom we own a photograph.
Anonymous photographer. The Netherlands, late 19th century.
Portrait of an unknown woman made in the studio WD Niestadt & Zoon, Schagen or Medemblik, The Netherlands, in the early 20th century. Wilhelm Diederich Niestadt (1851-1912) started his career as a tailor but opened in 1898 a photo studio in the town of Schagen, North Holland, the Netherlands with his son, Wilhelm Heinrich Niestadt (1879-1930). They later opened a second studio in the town Medemblik.
Anonymous photographer and couple. Probably Belgium. On the backside a date: 20th of February 1920.
Photo of an unknown lady by Adolf Andresen – studio Stöckler in Sønderborg, Denmark in the early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer and model. Unknown country, late 19th century.
Anonymous photographer, unknown country and unknown sisters. Early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer and model. Russia, early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer, the Netherlands, early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer and model, the Netherlands 1930s.
Anonymous photographer and model. Soviet Union, 1950s.
Anonymous photographer and couple. Picture taken at Cinema Studios, 6 Wellington Street Woolwich, London United Kingdom in the early 20th century.
Portrait of unknown girls by photographer Herman Vreugde who ran his studio named ‘Foto Rembrandt’ at Bloemenmarkt nr 7 in Roosendaal, the Netherlands in the 1930s.
Anonymous photographer and Soviet Soldiers. Germany 1945.
Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union, 1945. Veterans of the Great Patriotic War.
Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union, early 1940s.
Anonymous photographer and unknown woman. United Kingdom, early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer and model, Soviet Union, 1950s.
Anonymous photographer, mother and child. East Indies (Indonesia) late 19th century.
Anonymous photographer, the Netherlands 1920s.
Anonymous photographer and model in an unknown country, mid 19th century.
Anonymous photographer, korfbal team, the Netherlands early 20th century. (korfbal is a Dutch and Belgium ball game. The only team sports that has both male and female players.)
Anonymous photographer but two names were written on the back of the picture: Mina Kesteloo and Jannetje Stam. The Netherlands, early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer, the Netherlands, 1950s.
Anonymous photographer, East Indies (Indonesia). Dutch men and local women, dressed up as Japanese on board of a Dutch merchant schip. Colonial period, early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer, the Netherlands, 1950s.
Anonymous photographer and models. East Indies (Indonesia) early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer, province Brabant, The Netherlands, late 19th or early 20th century.
Portrait by Abraham Salomon Weinberg (1869-1932) of unkown girl from Groningen, the Netherlands, early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer, Russia, 1914.
Anonymous photographer, unknown ladies. Italy, early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer and sleeping beauty, The Netherlands, late 19th century.
Sibling of Henry Joseph Whitlock (1835-1918), portrait of unknown lady. Cardiff, United Kingdom, 1930s. Information from the archive of the National Portrait Gallery (UK): Henry Joseph Whitlock, photographer; son of Joseph Whitlock and older brother of Frederick Whitlock. Henry’s father Joseph Whitlock was the first person to establish a permanent photographic studio in Birmingham, in 1843. In 1852 Henry Whitlock joined the family firm, and three years later he left Birmingham to set up his own studio in Worcester. He returned to Birmingham in 1862, after the death of both his parents, and founded the firm H.J. Whitlock & Sons of Birmingham and Wolverhampton.
Anonymous photographer and model in an unknown country. Early 20th century.
Anonymous model. Portrait made in the early 20th century at the National Studio, 114 Court Street in Boston, USA by an anonymous photographer.
Anonymous photographer, unknown family, unknown country. Early 20th century.
Portrait of an anonymous woman by Fritz Palm who had a photo studio in Tangermünde an der Elbe, Germany in the early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer and bride, the Netherlands, 1950s.
Anonymous photographer and model. Italy, early 20th century.
An anonymous photographer took this picture of an anonymous model in an unknown country. It must have happened in the early 20th century.
Anonymous studio photographer and posing family. East Indies (Indonesia) late 19th or early 20th century .
Anonymous photographer, USA, early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer, Amsterdam, Jan Luijkenstraat 2 late 19th century/early 20th century. Home of architect Eduard Cuypers (18-04-1859 – 01-05-1927) next to the Rijksmuseum that was build by his uncle Pierre Cuypers (1827-1921).
Anonymous photographer and model from an unknown country. Early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer, Latvia, early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer, unknown country, early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer. United Kingdom, early 20th century.
Portrait of ‘a lady from Benghazi’ taken in Rome in 1911 by – or at least in the studio of – Emilio Montesi. ‘Tutti in giardino’, all in the garden, the back side of the picture tells us.
Somewhere on a street in the Netherlands, on the 11th of May 1904, sister J. W. Vonk made this picture of Dora, grandma and Anny Slierendrecht. Sister Vonk did not bother to write down the names of the two men, so they will stay anonymous for the time being.
Anonymous photographer, Germany 1940.
Anonymous photographer, France, early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer, Germany 1920s.
Anonymous photographer. The Netherlands, early 20th century.
Photo of an unknown child by studio Stainier-Hannet, Antwerp, Belgium, 1890s. In 1889 Fortuné Stainier married Jeanne Hannet, the oldest daughter of Swiss-Belgium photographer Philippe Hannet. In 1894 Fortuné took over the studio of his father-in-law in Antwerp where this picture must have been taken. The studio closed in 1902.
Anonymous photographer, Germany, military hospital, 1914-1918
Anonymous photographer, unknown family situation, the Netherlands, early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer. German Democratic Republic 1970s.
Anonymous photographer, unknown country, late 19th century.
Anonymous photographer, Prussia (Germany), early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer, Queen Wilhelmina and princess Juliana in the royal train. The Netherlands, early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer, the Netherlands, early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer and factory girl. Soviet Union, early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer, Germany, early 20th century.
Anonymous photographer. Picture from an English album showing the life of a young family during Victorian times. United Kingdom, 19th century.
Anonymous photographer, Hengelo, the Netherlands, 1910s.
Anonymous photographer and model. German Democratic Republic DDR, 1970s
Portrait of unknown young couple by A. Schlegel, Atelier für Künstlerische Portraits in Bremen in the 1910s.
His studio was working with day- as well as electric light:
’Bei Eintretender Dunkelheit Aufnahme bei Elektrisches Licht’.
Swimming lesson in Natchitoches, Louisiana, USA, in the early 1910s.
Photo by Dutch photographer P. H. van Son who lived and worked in the Louisiana for some years.
An anonymous photographer took this picture of a girls scouts meeting in the town of Heemstede in the Netherlands in 1937.
Three girls in Natchitoches, Louisiana, USA, portrait by the Dutch photographer P. H. van Son in the 1910s. In the early 20th century, P. H. van Son, who originated from the town of Oirschot in the province of Brabant, the Netherlands, lived and worked in Louisiana for some years.
