Scheepsmodel c. 1852

Eduard Isaac Asser created this photograph of a ship model sometime in the mid-19th century. The Dutch had been masters of the sea for centuries, and this image highlights a key feature of their history. The ship as a feat of engineering connects to the history of colonialism and trade. It is important to remember that maritime power was crucial to the economic and political dominance of the Netherlands, and it depended on global structures of labor and exchange. In the 19th century, new technologies of photography began to intersect with older traditions of shipbuilding, creating new ways of seeing and representing the world. Understanding the social and institutional context helps us understand how it became a valued object in museums like the Rijksmuseum today. Examining records of Dutch trade routes, naval history, and the development of photography can help us understand this convergence.