Straatgezicht met vrijstaande toren te Winschoten 1893

This photograph of a street view with a freestanding tower in Winschoten was created by an anonymous photographer working for Monumentenzorg, or "monument care". The image is made using traditional photographic chemistry, with a sepia tone that gives it a feel of the past. What I find most compelling is the sense of labor embedded in the image. The patient work of capturing light and shadow on film, then developing and printing the photograph. But also, consider the tower itself. How many hands were involved in the process of its construction? The bricklayers, the carpenters, the glaziers. It is a testament to the power of photography as a tool for documentation, but it also invites us to consider the labor and craftsmanship that goes into creating the built environment around us. We should consider all forms of craft as skilled labor and cultural contributions.