Gezicht op de watertoren te Luzern 1897

This photograph of the Water Tower in Lucerne was made with a camera, of course, and that’s worth thinking about. Photography was one of the early industrial image-making technologies, and it had a democratizing effect. Suddenly, representing the world around us was opened up to many more people. But even so, early photography like this one required skill, time and patience. We should think of the photographer less as an artist and more as a skilled worker, using specialized materials, techniques, and tools. Look at the composition and focus, and imagine the time of day when this was taken. All of these decisions reflect the intent of the photographer, which would have been very different from our own snapshot aesthetic today. Photography should be understood as both a creative practice and a job, and to see this image as both a representation of a place and a document of labor. By considering the conditions of its making, we gain a richer understanding of the picture's meaning.