Gezicht op Burg Birseck in Arlesheim, Zwitserland before 1896

This is a photograph of Burg Birseck in Arlesheim, Switzerland, by H. Reeb, presented in the 1896 issue of the *Annuaire Général et International de la Photographie*. Published at a time when photography was rapidly evolving from a scientific tool to an art form, the photograph captures a picturesque scene of a castle nestled in the Swiss landscape. Consider Reeb's position in the 1890s: the artist is implicated in the creation and circulation of images that shaped perceptions and desires in a rapidly globalizing world. The very act of photographing, selecting, and framing this particular view speaks to a desire for the unspoiled, the historic, and perhaps the romantic. The photograph invites viewers to reflect on the power dynamics inherent in landscape photography and the ways in which it can perpetuate particular cultural values and identities. How do we understand our relationship to places that are both real and imagined through the lens of photography?