Afgemeerd schip voor de Havenkazerne, Schoonhoven 1880 - 1890

Lodewijk Hendrikus Serré made this cabinet card photograph of a moored ship in front of the Havenkazerne in Schoonhoven, likely in the late 19th century. Serré operated his photography studio in both Utrecht and Schoonhoven, capturing the daily life of the Netherlands. This image offers a glimpse into the social fabric of the time, where class distinctions were clearly visible. On the boat, we see figures who appear to be working class. Ashore, a group of men stand formally dressed near the Havenkazerne, possibly soldiers. The separation is palpable, a visual encoding of the era’s social hierarchy. Consider how photography, then a relatively new medium, was used to document and perhaps even reinforce these societal divisions. Serré’s composition invites us to reflect on the lives and labor of those often unseen, while prompting questions about who gets remembered and how. Think about how this image, in its quiet way, challenges or upholds the narratives of Dutch society in the late 1800s.