Arbeids inspectie: The work of the photograph
Posted by Stephanie Fysh in ArticlesWhile many of us on Flickr are inclined to view photographs as an art form — to analyze for composition and artistic intent, and to prefer those photographs that “feel” to us to be artistic, and to aim to produce photographs as art ourselves — for the vast number of people on the site and in general, throughout the history of photography, the primary function of the photograph is to document. On Flickr, that documentation tends to be of special family moments, of our travels, or of public events, and we still hope that they are “good” photographs.
In archival collections, the photograph as document is more likely to be a “purer” documentary: to provide a record of what is. The Nationaal Archief’s collection in the Commons called Arbeids inspectie is an example of such documentary, not only in the seeming lack of effort to create artistic documentary photographs but also in the sheer number and repetition of subjects.
The Netherlands’ Labour Inspectorate shot at least 5,000 photographs in the first half of the 20th century documenting working conditions in companies. These documents served a purpose beyond the act of documenting: they provided visual evidence of infractions, and they “added weight to [the inspectors'] reports, making them more convincing and therefore more effective tools for achieving their goal of improving working conditions.”
| To be sure, some are beautiful photographs. This image of a girl preparing fabric for sewing is enchanting: her smile, the light vignetting, the elegant, self-contained composition. It’s almost easy to forget that she’s a young girl doing hard factory labour, so that someone can buy new underwear. |  Nationaal Archief |
| Others are nearly the opposite. They are purely functional, and without context, engage the viewer very little. The Nationaal Archief has, though, given us context as well. These two dull (in many ways) photographs of have been digitized together with their original description: Mechanische beschadiging aan een staaldraadkabel, waardoor een dodelijk ongeval plaatsvond in de Machinefabriek Reineveld te Delft — “Mechanical damage to a steel cable, making a fatal accident occurred in the Machinefabriek Reinhart Field in Delft” |  Nationaal Archief |
| Still others are haunting. Even without context, these photographs tell us of human suffering. At the time, these photographs may have changed someone’s lives: improved their working conditions where they were, or sent them looking for another job when the workplace that causes this suffering was shut down. Today they retain a power that goes beyond their context, insisting that we look: that we see the truth that is written in the body. |  Nationaal Archief |
There is a lesson in this archival collection, as there is in many such archival collections around the world, and one that can also be read in many non-Commons collections on Flickr: Photography, like the word, can speak both from and to power … and it can alter the world it documents.
Tags: documentary, Nationaal Archief