Fotoalbum van vakanties van de familie van Hendrik Herman van den Berg, 1914 1914

Hendrik Herman van den Berg created this photo album of family vacations in 1914. It provides a fascinating window into the intersection of social class, leisure, and technology in early 20th-century Europe. The album, likely crafted with materials available to a middle-class family, speaks volumes about the democratization of photography during this period. As cameras became more accessible, photography transitioned from a professional practice to a tool for personal documentation and memory-making. The location 'Bergerac' and the 'photographs' logo embossed on the cover, suggest the rise of tourism and the desire to capture and preserve travel experiences. To fully understand this artifact, one might delve into the history of photography, tourism, and middle-class culture in Europe during this era. Such research can reveal the ways in which seemingly personal objects are embedded within broader social and institutional contexts, offering insights into the politics of imagery and the social conditions that shape artistic production.