Frankfurt am Main_ Library room at the Cronstettisches Stift with court Counsellor Dr. Sömmering and Provost von Lersner, No. 14 1864

This albumen print, made by Carl Friedrich Mylius, depicts the library room at the Cronstettisches Stift in Frankfurt am Main, and it offers a glimpse into the intellectual and social life of 19th-century Germany. The Cronstettisches Stift was a philanthropic foundation, and the library would have been a space for learning and intellectual exchange. The presence of Court Counsellor Dr. Sömmering and Provost von Lersner suggests the importance of the institution to the local elites. Considering the historical context in which the photograph was made, we can ask what the prevailing social structures might have been and whether the photograph comments on them. To understand the photograph more fully, we might delve into the history of the Cronstettisches Stift, the biographies of the individuals depicted, and the broader social and cultural context of Frankfurt am Main in the mid-19th century. By doing so, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the photograph as a historical document.