Koningin Wilhelmina en regentes Emma tijdens de eerste steenlegging van het Wilhelmina Gasthuis in Amsterdam onder toeziend oog van veel publiek. Possibly 1891 - 1895

This photograph by Gustaaf Oosterhuis captures Queen Wilhelmina and Regent Emma at the laying of the foundation stone for the Wilhelmina Gasthuis in Amsterdam. Looking closely, the image reveals much about the social fabric of the time. Photography itself was a relatively new technology, and its use here suggests the importance of this event in the public eye. Note the sheer number of people present, densely packed together. What kind of labor went into the construction of the temporary structures visible here? Who did the labor of making the photographic print? The photograph invites us to consider the relationship between royalty, public works, and the burgeoning technologies of mass media. It's a reminder that every image, like every building, is the product of countless hands and complex social forces. It is the perfect illustration of the moment in which craft meets industrialization.