Interieur van de Sint-Joriskerk te Amersfoort 1891

This photograph, titled "Interior of the St. George's Church in Amersfoort," was made by an anonymous photographer associated with Monumentenzorg. Monumentenzorg, or "monument care," is a Dutch governmental organization concerned with the preservation of historical sites, and this image likely documents part of that work. The Gothic style of St. George’s Church indexes a history of wealth and power, and the photograph illustrates the way the cultural and social authority of the church persists into the present day, as it remains a site of significance for the Dutch state. Photographs like these are part of the institutional apparatus by which cultural heritage is preserved. By archiving and studying such images, we can see how cultural institutions shape not only the preservation, but also the interpretation of historical monuments.