Dakramen op de Belfort van Mons, België before 1887

This is an undated photograph of the Belfort of Mons in Belgium, by an anonymous photographer. The belfry, a watchtower and symbol of civic power, rises imposingly, a testament to both architectural skill and social hierarchy. This image invites us to consider the cultural values of the time, as well as our own. Built in the 17th century, the Belfort embodies the power dynamics of its era. Its very existence speaks to a society stratified by class, where the elite commissioned such structures to reinforce their dominance, while the working class, who built it, would have looked up at it from below. Consider the dual role this belfry played – a functional watchtower but also a symbol of municipal authority. Who was being watched, and who was watching? How did the belfry shape the daily lives and emotional landscapes of those within its shadow?