Gezicht op de Grote Kerk te Muiden 1910

This photograph shows the Grote Kerk in Muiden, and was made by an anonymous photographer working for Monumentenzorg, the Dutch heritage agency. The agency was founded in 1903, and it reflects a time when new institutions were created to protect buildings and sites of historical interest. In the late 19th century, the rise of photography offered new possibilities for cataloging architecture and for raising public awareness of the built environment. Photography became a tool for institutions interested in the preservation of culture. The monument depicted here would have been seen as an embodiment of national history, and its preservation a symbol of cultural continuity. To understand photography, we can study the history of institutions like Monumentenzorg, and we can look at the various ways in which photography was used to define and preserve cultural heritage. After all, it's only by understanding such contextual factors, that we can fully grasp the meaning and significance of the art.