Gang op de begane grond van Hotel Merghelynck in Ieper, België before 1894

Hector Heylbroeck created this photograph of the ground floor hallway in the Hotel Merghelynck in Ieper, Belgium. While we don’t know the exact date of this photograph, the hotel itself dates from 1774-1776. What can we tell from this image about the social life it portrays? Heylbroeck invites us to see the hotel as a place of wealth and status. The hotel’s architecture indicates a culture of leisure, defined by elaborate interior design, ornate mantelpieces and expensive furnishings. Its very existence testifies to a hierarchical society, sharply divided by class. To understand this image more fully, one might turn to historical archives such as census records to learn more about the hotel’s owners and visitors. And what can the field of art history reveal? By studying the work of Heylbroeck, we can see how the rise of photography captured a moment in the history of architecture and social class.