Gezicht op het Haringvliet in Rotterdam, rechts Hotel Smits c. 1905 - 1907

This photograph of the Haringvliet in Rotterdam, with Hotel Smits to the right, was taken by Folkert Idzes de Jong in the early 20th century. The photograph is a window into a moment in time, documenting Rotterdam’s bustling waterway. Photography, as a relatively new medium in this era, democratized image-making. Unlike painting, which required extensive training and expensive materials, photography offered a more accessible way to capture and share visual information. The monochromatic palette emphasizes the textures of the urban landscape – the brickwork of the buildings, the ripples on the water, and the foliage of the trees lining the canal. The very act of capturing this scene, using a camera and photographic chemicals, speaks to the rise of industrial technologies, changing the way we perceived and documented the world around us. The photograph is not just a visual record, it's also a product of a specific time and set of social conditions, reflecting the increasing accessibility of image making.