Aangemeerde kleine vissersboten 1889

This photograph of moored fishing boats was created by Paul Güssfeldt. Although the date is not precise, we can assume that it was made sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. The photograph’s visual codes evoke a sense of tranquility and tradition. The boats, resting on the shore, suggest a life tied to the sea, a life of labor but also one of simplicity. Looking at the cultural context, in late 19th and early 20th century Europe, there was a growing interest in depicting the lives of ordinary people, especially those living in rural or coastal areas. This was partly a reaction against industrialization and urbanization, and partly a romantic idealization of a simpler way of life. Photographs like this one, then, can be seen as part of a broader cultural movement that sought to capture and preserve images of traditional ways of life. The historian can research this by studying the popular magazines and journals of the time, which often featured photographs of rural scenes. What we see in this image is contingent on social and institutional contexts.