Vijf en twintig jarig bestaan der Dordrechtsche Rijschool: Carrousel gehouden den 9e Maart 1868 voorst: de plegtige ontvangst en intogt van Prins Willem I en zijne gemalin Charlotte van Bourbon binnen Dordrecht in Juny 1575 1868

This print by Gerardus Johannes Bos commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Dordrecht Riding School in 1868. But it depicts an event from centuries earlier, the ceremonial entry of Prince William I and his wife into Dordrecht in 1575. What does this staging of history tell us about the values of the Riding School and the society it served? The print suggests a desire to connect the institution with the heroic narrative of Dutch independence. The choice of subject matter places horsemanship within a longer tradition of civic pride and national identity. By associating themselves with William of Orange, the Riding School is participating in the creation of a national myth. Historical prints, like this one, are fascinating sources for social historians. By looking at the details represented in the image we are better able to understand how people in the past made sense of their own present.