Poort op de Dam, opgericht ter gelegenheid van het 25-jarig regeringsjubileum van koning Willem III 1874

Andries Jager made this albumen print of the celebratory gate in Dam Square for King Willem III's 25th Jubilee. Photography was still a relatively new medium, and this print would have involved a complex chemical process of coating paper with light-sensitive materials. Look closely and you can almost feel the weight of the paper, the delicate balance between capturing light and shadow. Consider how the image is made and its purpose. The photographic process captures a fleeting moment, fixing it into material form. What’s interesting here is how the photograph is used to document the gate which itself was a monument to celebrate power, and a sense of national pride. Thinking about the print in this way, it becomes more than just a pretty picture, and a reflection of the materials, the methods, and the meanings that infuse an artwork with social and cultural significance.