Gezicht op de Sint-Kastorbasiliek in Koblenz before 1868

This photograph of the Sint-Kastorbasiliek in Koblenz, was produced by Cundall & Fleming using a process that was still relatively novel at the time. Consider the material reality of this image: light-sensitive chemicals spread on paper, carefully exposed and developed. The tonal range, though muted by today's standards, offered a seemingly objective record of the world. The photograph’s very existence is linked to broader social shifts: the rise of industrial chemistry, mass production, and a growing middle class eager to consume images of distant places. The photograph collapses time, allowing viewers to possess a place with deep history, like this Basilica. It also hints at the labor involved in the production of both the building, made of heavy stone, and the photographic print. Looking at this image, let's reflect on how photographic images mediate our understanding of the world, and blur the lines between art, documentation, and commerce.