Gezicht op de bakkerij van het Markiezenhof te Bergen op Zoom 1890

This albumen print shows the bakery of the Markiezenhof in Bergen op Zoom, Netherlands, and was made by an anonymous photographer. With its clear focus on architectural detail, the image seems to document the building, rather than to explore any symbolic or aesthetic properties. The Markiezenhof was built in the late 15th and early 16th century. Considering the period of the building's construction, the image is an interesting collision of old and new. While the building reminds us of the old aristocratic class system, the photograph, as a new technology, hints at the beginning of mass culture and mass media. As historians, we can research the Markiezenhof and Bergen op Zoom in the archives. This will allow us to better understand the social importance of buildings like this and what role photography played in their preservation and presentation.