Gezicht op een aantal bomen aan een water before 1902

This photograph of trees by a river was created by Otto Hirsch, but its date is unknown. It sits on the right hand page of an open book titled 'Photographische Rundschau'. It seems likely that the image was produced in Germany, given that the text accompanying the image is in German. The book is most likely a journal about photography; ‘Photographische Rundschau’ translates as ‘Photographic Review’. The way the photograph is embedded within this journal raises questions about the cultural role of photography in the late 19th and early 20th century. Was photography considered an art form? Was it seen as a tool to create and distribute art? What was the relationship between photography and art criticism? To understand this image further, it would be useful to consider the rise of photography as an art form within the context of late 19th and early 20th century German culture.