Straat in Milaan met de kathedraal op de achtergrond, Italië 1851 - 1880

Pompeo Pozzi captured this image of a Milan street with the cathedral in the background, presumably in the mid-19th century. The photograph presents a clear depiction of Italian urban life at the time, with a focus on architecture. The Duomo, or Milan Cathedral, in the background establishes the photograph’s cultural context. The building in the foreground with the clock suggests the rise of industry and commerce in Milan, with the clock acting as a symbol of increased scheduling and production. The clock can be seen as a reflection of the institutional control over the citizens’ time. To fully understand the image, historians would need to research Milan’s urban development during this period. We’d need to look at how institutional structures and processes were created to control the population through means such as scheduled time. The photograph then becomes more than a depiction, but instead, a social commentary on the impact of new institutions on everyday life.