"Radauthal vom Bärenstein", Harz, Duitsland 1898

Stengel & Co. made this photograph of Radauthal vom Bärenstein, in the Harz region of Germany. At first glance, it's just a landscape, but consider the context. In the late 19th century, Germany was rapidly industrializing, which placed immense pressure on its natural resources. The Harz mountains, rich in minerals and forests, became a site of intense exploitation. This photograph, therefore, isn't just a neutral depiction. It's a product of its time, reflecting a society grappling with the costs of progress. The well-defined road cutting through the landscape, speaks to the infrastructure built to facilitate resource extraction and tourism. What are the politics of this imagery? Is it a celebration of progress or a commentary on the changing landscape? To understand this photograph more fully, we need to delve into archives, historical documents, and studies of the period, and consider the institutional forces at play in shaping our understanding of the natural world.