Interieur van de kamer van Hendrik Herman van den Berg before 1894

Hendrik Herman van den Berg made this photograph of his room using a magnesium flash, a new technology at the time. It shows a space filled with objects, each telling a story of production and consumption. Look at the wallpaper; likely mass-produced, its repeated pattern speaks to the industrial revolution's impact on domestic life. The furniture, solid and dark, suggests a rising middle class, eager to display its access to material comforts. Even the photographs hanging on the wall, enabled by chemical processes, hint at the democratization of portraiture. The photograph itself, made possible through complex industrial supply chains, reflects the increasing accessibility of image-making. Van den Berg's choice to capture his personal space invites us to consider the intersection of individual identity and the broader forces of labor, politics, and consumption. Considering the materials, making, and context allows us to appreciate this photograph as more than just a snapshot. It is a window into a world shaped by changing technologies and social structures, inviting us to question the distinctions between art, craft, and the everyday.