Expositie van Britse objecten tijdens de wereldtentoonstelling te Antwerpen 1894

Th. Lantin made this photograph of the British display at the Antwerp World Fair using a camera, a relatively new technology at the time. This image, made through industrial processes, depicts a world of handmade objects from across the British Empire. The photograph gives us insight into how these objects were arranged for maximum impact. Flags hang overhead, signaling national identity and colonial reach. Below, glass cases protect an array of goods, from textiles to ceramics, each representing countless hours of labour and expertise. The display itself is a form of making – carefully constructed to project an image of British industry and artistry. Consider the skilled hands that produced these items, the factory workers, and artisans whose labour fuelled the Empire's economic engine. The materials themselves, sourced from around the globe, speak to networks of trade and extraction. This photograph invites us to look beyond the objects themselves and consider the complex web of making, labour, and power that shaped them.