Koorbanken in de Grote of Onze-Lieve-Vrouwenkerk te Dordrecht c. 1880 - 1910

This photograph captures the choir stalls in the Grote or Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk in Dordrecht. The photo was taken by an anonymous photographer working for Monumentenzorg, an organization dedicated to the preservation of national heritage sites. These choir stalls weren't just seats; they were a stage for the performance of power and piety. Reserved for the clergy and church elite, they physically embodied the hierarchical structure of the church and, by extension, society itself. Think of the quiet exclusivity these spaces represented, the visual and social distinctions they reinforced. The craftsmanship, the carved details, all speak to a world where status was meticulously crafted and maintained. Consider the act of photographing these stalls. It transforms them from functional objects into historical artifacts. The image invites us to reflect on the shifting meanings of religious spaces and the evolving ways we engage with the past.