Portaal van het stadhuis in Keulen 1869 - 1903

Curator: This albumen print presents us with "Portaal van het stadhuis in Keulen" - or the Portal of the Cologne City Hall - captured between 1869 and 1903 by Anselm Schmitz. The sepia tones imbue it with a palpable sense of history. Editor: Immediately, the photograph evokes a mood of measured grandeur, despite the aged tone. There's a stoicism to the architecture that stands out. Curator: Schmitz has paid close attention to the play of light and shadow across the facade. Note how the strong verticality of the columns contrasts with the horizontal emphasis of the arcades. It’s all very precisely rendered. Editor: Indeed, this photograph operates within the broader context of German urbanization in the late 19th century, where civic buildings were designed as symbols of power and authority. The City Hall represents Cologne's ambitions and civic pride following industrialisation and unification. I wonder how access to this portal was actually controlled, and what symbolic roles might be inferred? Curator: Let’s focus again on the architecture for a moment. Observe how Schmitz frames the portal, emphasizing the classical elements – the carefully constructed proportions of the arcades and columns give it that clear sense of spatial relationships. Editor: But how much was this construction actively rewriting the historic record, shaping a particular, arguably conservative, vision of Cologne's identity? How are architectural forms used to construct notions of belonging or exclusion? The framing and perspective perhaps also act as signals of an intent on Anselm Schmitz's part. Curator: Certainly. By the interplay between light and the structured facade, the photographer directs us to an elevated sense of what civic administration may entail. Editor: A valuable addition to our understandings of 19th century cultural dynamics across urban centres in Western Europe. Curator: A visual statement with a certain timelessness that we can read closely today.