Telemarkkanaal met een schip voor een sluis c. 1880 - 1898

This photograph of the Telemark Canal with a ship in front of a lock was taken by Knud Knudsen. Knudsen was one of Norway's first professional photographers, working during a time of significant national transformation. Knudsen documented rural life and landscapes, which fed into the construction of a Norwegian cultural identity. The image offers a glimpse into Norway's burgeoning infrastructure. We see a steamboat named "Victoria," likely ferrying tourists through the scenic canal. The canal itself, an engineering marvel, cuts through the rugged terrain. This image is more than a landscape; it speaks to Norway’s project of modernization and nation-building. Knudsen's photographs helped to define what it meant to be Norwegian. The photograph captures a moment of pride, as Norway presented itself on the global stage, shaped both by nature and by the hands of its people.