Stadhuis van Mechelen met op de voorgrond het standbeeld van Margaretha van Oostenrijk 1866 - 1870

This stereoscopic photograph captures the town hall of Mechelen, Belgium, with the statue of Margaret of Austria in the foreground. It was made by Jules Hippolyte Quéval sometime in the mid-19th century. The image presents a constructed view of civic pride and historical memory. Margaret of Austria, who governed the Netherlands in the early 16th century, stands as a symbol of a rich, complex past. The imposing town hall represents the civic institutions. Stereoscopic photographs like this one were popular at the time as tourist souvenirs. They offered a picturesque and monumental vision of Belgian cities. The photograph thus participates in a broader 19th-century project of national identity formation. Understanding this image requires us to look at the history of Belgian nationalism, the development of tourism, and the role of photography in shaping collective memory. By exploring these contexts, we can appreciate the rich layers of meaning embedded in this seemingly straightforward depiction of a Belgian town.