Gezicht op de Jungfernstieg en Alsterdamm in Hamburg met de Sint Petri-kerk 1885

This photograph of the Jungfernstieg and Alsterdamm in Hamburg, featuring the St. Petri church, was made in 1885 by Sophus Williams. Here we see the public role of photography in Wilhelmine Germany. The image presents a meticulously ordered view of Hamburg's architecture. The buildings, captured with sharp detail, project the image of a prosperous commercial center. Considering Germany's rapid industrialization and urbanization during this time, such a photograph catered to a desire for civic pride and documented Hamburg's transformation into a major European port city. The prominent placement of St. Petri church suggests the intertwining of religious institutions with civic identity. Analyzing such photographs, it’s important to draw on archival sources: city directories, newspapers, and institutional records to deepen our understanding of the image's creation and circulation. We then begin to see the photograph not merely as a depiction, but as a product of specific economic, social, and cultural forces.