Voorgevel van het stadhuis van Brouwershaven c. 1891

Adriaan Bos Jr. captured the facade of the Brouwershaven town hall in this photograph. The sepia tones, the paper's texture, and the photographic process itself all contribute to its visual effect. Unlike painting or sculpture, photography in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was considered a modern medium, closely tied to industrial progress. But it’s important to remember the craft involved. Each print required careful attention to chemical processes and darkroom techniques. Bos would have understood the social implications of photography – its capacity to document, to preserve, and to make images accessible to a wider audience. Consider the subject matter, too: a civic building, a symbol of governance, presented through a medium that democratizes representation. While a painting might convey the artist's interpretation, a photograph claims a different kind of truth, a direct record of what was there. This raises questions about labor, politics, and how we consume images of the world around us. By considering the materials, making, and context, we can fully appreciate the photograph's meaning, which challenges traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.