Hannover (Georgstrasse en theater), Duitsland 1899

This black and white photograph of Georgstrasse and Theater in Hannover, Germany, was produced by Zedler und Vogel. The photographic process itself is key to understanding this image. Before photography, cityscapes were painstakingly rendered by hand. This photograph, however, offered a seemingly objective view of modern life. Note the tram lines crisscrossing the street, and the bustling commerce of the buildings that line the avenue. The photograph captures a moment of transition, when industrial progress was rapidly reshaping the urban environment. Consider also the labor involved in producing this image, from the photographers themselves to the workers who manufactured the camera and developed the film. Photography democratized image-making, yet it also created new forms of labor and consumption. It invites us to consider how photography has shaped our perception of progress, and its complex relationship with labor, capital, and representation.