Portret van M. C. F. Simon, gouverneur van de Koninklijke Academie in Breda before 1880

This photograph of M. C. F. Simon, governor of the Koninklijke Academie in Breda, was made in 1880. It appears within the pages of the Cadetten-Almanak, a yearbook for cadets. The portrait sits opposite the book’s title page, indicating the prominence of Simon within this military institution. His military dress and decorations communicate authority, discipline and service to the state. The Netherlands in 1880 was a constitutional monarchy, a society still shaped by its colonial past and defined by clear social hierarchies. Institutions such as the Koninklijke Academie played a crucial role in training and shaping the next generation of leaders, instilling values of obedience and national pride. It is an item of institutional self-fashioning. Understanding this image fully requires delving into the archives of the Koninklijke Academie, examining the curriculum, the social backgrounds of the cadets, and the broader political context of the time. By doing so, we can begin to understand the role of such institutions in shaping Dutch society and the values they sought to promote.