Gezicht op de haven van Durban vanaf Bluff c. 1880 - 1910

This photograph captures a view of Durban harbor from the Bluff, and while the photographer’s initials JEM are all we know about them, the image speaks volumes about the city’s growth and industrialization at the time. The sepia tones and sharp focus are characteristic of photographic processes of the era. The photograph’s material qualities—its glossy surface and the delicate paper it’s printed on—belie the heavy industry depicted: ships, warehouses, and the bustling activity of a port city. The photograph itself, as a reproducible medium, is deeply tied to industrial and capitalist expansion. Consider the labor involved, not only in the industries shown, but also in the production of the image itself. Photography, like other forms of craft and design, demanded skilled labor, from operating the camera to developing the print. This image reminds us that even in a seemingly straightforward depiction of a place, the choices of materials, making, and context shape our understanding. It invites us to consider the complex interplay between artistic representation, industrial progress, and the human effort that underlies it all.