Het huis Zomerlust c. 1865

This albumen print of ‘Het huis Zomerlust’ was made by Jacobus van Gorkom Jr., in the Netherlands. Although undated, we can tell that this image was made in the second half of the 19th century, given the artist's life dates and the popularization of albumen prints from the 1850s. This picture shows a two-storey house with two ladies walking in front of it. The fact that a photographer was hired to take this photograph tells us that this was a house of significance and its owners were of high social standing. The architecture suggests that the house owners would have wanted to be associated with the neoclassical style of the time. The photograph creates meaning through its visual codes, such as the architecture of the building, the dress of the ladies, and the formal composition. To understand this image better, we might look at historical documents, such as property records and family archives. This way, we can gain insight into the people who lived there, their social status, and their relationship to the wider community.