Gezicht op het Stadhuis van Franeker 1896

This photograph of the Stadhuis, or Town Hall, of Franeker, was made by Johan Marinus Schalekamp. While we don't have an exact date for the artwork, it was likely created in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. Schalekamp, like other photographers of his era, was deeply involved with the chemistry of his process, mastering the wet collodion and gelatin silver processes to produce images of striking clarity. The tonal range of the photograph, from the bright sky to the deep shadows under the eaves, speaks to the artist's technical skill. The texture of the paper itself, smooth and matte, invites close inspection, a contrast to our digital age of endless images. Consider the labor involved in producing this image: from the mixing of chemicals to the careful timing of exposure and development, it was a craft as much as an art. Appreciating this reminds us that every image carries with it a history of material practice, bridging the gap between documentation and skilled artistry.