Gezicht op de toren van de Nieuwe Kerk te Haarlem c. 1875 - 1900

Editor: This photograph, "Gezicht op de toren van de Nieuwe Kerk te Haarlem," taken sometime between 1875 and 1900 by Johannes Gerardus Kramer, is a gelatin-silver print of a cityscape. What immediately strikes me is how this printing technique casts such an ordinary, realist scene in such an ethereal glow, yet, it seems rather detached and documentary. What do you make of this photograph? Curator: It's interesting you see that tension between documentary and ethereal. Pictorialism, which Kramer embraced, often aimed for that effect. Consider the social context: rapid industrialization was transforming cities, yet photography allowed a means to idealize and even sentimentalize them. Doesn’t the angle of the shot, focusing upward, almost seem reverential? Editor: I do see that now. Like it’s celebrating progress, but in a detached, almost melancholic way. I guess it also makes me think about civic pride being visualized, and how people living there saw their surroundings. Curator: Precisely. Think about how these images circulated, both formally in exhibitions and informally as personal mementos. This church tower, a public monument, becomes a symbol of shared identity and collective memory, influencing ideas and conversations around social and artistic movements of the time. Editor: So the photo acts as more than just a record; it actively shapes public perception. I never thought about a photo of a building as playing such an active role. Curator: Indeed. It raises questions about whose perspectives are included, and which aspects of city life are considered worthy of preservation and idealization, even now. Editor: This has definitely changed how I’ll look at cityscape photography from now on! I didn't realize the socio-political role of images like these. Curator: Exactly, seeing them as documents reflecting artistic choice and larger social dialogues opens up a new understanding.