Noordzijde van de Kerk van Vlagtwedde 1893

This photograph of the North side of the church in Vlagtwedde was made using a photographic process in the service of Monumentenzorg, or the care of monuments. The sepia tones and soft focus are characteristic of early photography, and the image’s material qualities speak to its historical context. As a method of documentation, the photograph is interesting because it involves a kind of labor very different from the construction of the church itself. Think of the many hands that would have been involved in the making of bricks and mortar, raising the structure, and compare that to the photographer, with their camera, tripod, and darkroom. The image is not just a record of the church, but also evidence of a shift in how we perceive and preserve our built environment. The photograph becomes a tool for understanding the church, and its history, emphasizing the importance of both the object and its representation.