Stadhuis van Halberstadt 1868 - 1890

Curator: This stereoscopic photograph, captured sometime between 1868 and 1890 by Hermann Selle, depicts the Stadhuis van Halberstadt, the town hall of Halberstadt. Editor: The geometry is compelling! Notice how the severe angularity of the rooflines is juxtaposed with the almost playful, miniature arches above the entranceway. It’s a remarkably formal portrait of civic architecture, softened by its rather subdued, almost sepia tones. Curator: Indeed. What intrigues me is the way this photograph subtly communicates the essence of civic duty. Look at the scale of the building compared to the tiny figures populating the square. There is an undeniable symbolic message. Editor: Ah, the classic contrast! You always seek symbols. But is that necessarily a message? Or just an effect of spatial representation? Consider how the photographer positions us slightly below the structure; this immediately grants it visual dominance. Curator: Precisely! And this deliberate enhancement speaks volumes about the perceived authority and enduring stability embodied by the town hall during a period of great social transformation within Germany. These buildings serve as constant reminders of law and social structure. Editor: It is compelling the way those shadowed areas give weight to the construction. It gives us as much information as the areas of direct visibility. And then, that strip of light coming across the horizontal plane gives such an impactful diagonal division to the spatial recession. It directs the eye straight back. Curator: This composition draws on older iconographic traditions in northern Europe, in which public structures are depicted with an almost godlike authority to affirm the social order. Consider this shot not just as architectural record, but as statement on the social contract. Editor: I like how your cultural lens enhances the narrative. I had remained so focused on its lines and construction, that I wasn’t taking into consideration those subliminal societal notions, really. Thank you! Curator: My pleasure! The photograph certainly invites diverse levels of interpretation.