Cadetten-almanak 1900

The “Cadetten-Almanak,” or Cadets’ Almanac, was made in 1900 by Broese & Comp., using photography and printing technologies. The Almanac is a bound book, carefully assembled with a portrait pasted onto the frontispiece. The photo itself is a material record of a very particular time, and also evidence of a complex industrial system. It’s easy to forget that photography, like any other medium, depends on raw material extraction, manufacturing and labor. The paper, the inks, the photographic chemicals: these are all part of the story. The book’s contents were set using movable type, likely with a mechanized press. Publishing, by the turn of the century, was an established industry, with its own supply chains, labor practices and distribution networks. This Almanak offers a glimpse into the social and political context of its time. Considering all the materials and processes involved in its making reminds us that this object sits at the intersection of artistic expression, industrial production, and social context, revealing deeper meanings within it.