Interieur van het Paleis voor Volksvlijt in Amsterdam c. 1864 - 1875

Jules Hippolyte Quéval made this photograph of the Interior of the Palace of Industry in Amsterdam using an albumen print. Quéval’s image offers us a glimpse into a 19th-century space designed to showcase industrial progress and national pride. The Palace of Industry was a physical manifestation of the era’s obsession with technological advancement and colonial power. Spaces like these were created to impress and inspire, but who was this spectacle really for? How did class, race, and gender influence who was invited to participate in this vision of progress? The architecture itself, with its grand scale and classical motifs, reinforced a sense of hierarchy and exclusion. Reflecting on this image, we might consider how these historical spaces both shaped and mirrored the societal values of their time. How do we create spaces today that invite a more inclusive and equitable vision of the future?