Gournu en Le Vieux Frère, deelnemers aan de race Parijs-Amsterdam in hun automobiel, vermoedelijk in de regio Nijmegen 1898

This photograph by Delizy captures Gournu en Le Vieux Frère, participants in the Paris-Amsterdam race, likely around Nijmegen. The image encapsulates the thrill of technological advancement in the early 20th century. Automotive races like the Paris-Amsterdam were not merely sporting events but powerful symbols of progress, drawing crowds and capturing the public imagination. In the Netherlands, this enthusiasm intersected with a rapidly changing social landscape. The rise of industrialization, coupled with burgeoning class consciousness, meant that new technologies like the automobile were both celebrated and viewed with suspicion. Photographs like this one offer us a window into this complex moment. To fully understand its significance, we can consult period newspapers, race records, and social surveys of the time. Art history allows us to appreciate how cultural values are projected onto art.