Spotprent op het wetsvoorstel voor nieuwe spoorwegen, 1875 1875

This is a caricature by Johan Michaël Schmidt Crans, made in 1875, likely using lithography. It depicts a scene "In de 2de Kamer, 18 Februari" – the Dutch Parliament on February 18th. The image satirizes the debate around a new railways bill. The men in the foreground, presumably members of parliament, are presented with a miniature railway by a man holding a pump handle behind his back. This visual suggests that the railways are being pushed forward in some clandestine way. The Netherlands in the 1870s was undergoing rapid industrialization, and railway expansion was a key political issue. Caricatures like this one played a crucial role in shaping public opinion and challenging those in power. The artwork doesn't simply record events, it actively participates in the debates of the day. To understand the nuances of this image, one would need to delve into the parliamentary records of the time, newspaper articles, and other period documents. Approaching this caricature through social and institutional history allows us to see it as a product of, and a contributor to, the political culture of its time.