Altstadtmarkt en Poststrasse, Braunschweig, Nedersaksen, Duitsland 1886

This photograph by George Behrens shows Braunschweig’s Altstadtmarkt and Poststrasse, likely taken in 1886. Its material is photographic paper, likely produced through a silver gelatin process, then a relatively new technology that allowed for mass reproduction. Consider the way the photograph captures the essence of the built environment, with its timber-framed buildings and cobbled square. The buildings have the kind of craft that speaks of tradition, but also a new kind of industrial production beginning to emerge at that time. The photograph itself became a commodity, and the way it was made reflects a new era of technological advancement and consumerism. The amount of labor invested in capturing and reproducing the image is hidden by its apparent simplicity. This photograph invites us to consider the ways in which materials, processes, and social context intersect to shape our understanding of the world around us, and to reflect on the complex relationship between art, craft, and industry.