Toren van de Oude Sint-Nicolaaskerk te IJsselstein 1890

Editor: This is an anonymous photo from around 1890, titled 'Tower of the Old Saint Nicholas Church in IJsselstein'. The sepia tone makes it feel like looking back into a very distant past, a tangible sense of history. What's your take on it? Curator: Well, seeing a photograph like this, I'm immediately drawn to consider the materials involved. Think about the physical effort in producing the photographic print itself, but also in the very labor intensive manufacturing and use of the bricks forming that monumental tower! Editor: That’s interesting, I was so focused on the age. What would be a typical use for bricks in such a construction? Curator: Exactly. Look at the uniformity of the brickwork. Each brick represents individual human labor, molded and fired and placed to construct a space of worship but also an assertion of social structure and power, particularly the church's dominance over local lives and material resources. Consider the lives interwoven into that brick-making process! Editor: That definitely reframes how I'm seeing it. What’s implied when the photo blurs its representation of the structure through material observation? Curator: Good point, what impact is intended? Think about it - this image challenges the typical representation by showing material, process, and context over just documenting the scene. It's all about questioning these social and aesthetic boundaries. The church as product of cultural means of production is presented in this old print and connects art with everyday reality, rather than divorcing them. It is fascinating how it changes perception through time, even today. Editor: I see, that brings a different understanding of photography's role itself, how it captures social connections, or sometimes aims to veil it! Curator: Exactly, it invites us to consider both the tower and the photo as products of social, not just artistic or architectural endeavor.