Gezicht op Middel Lake before 1867

John Hudson made this photograph titled ‘Gezicht op Middle Lake’. Here, we find an interesting intersection between the personal and the institutional. Hudson's landscape photography might seem, at first glance, like a simple depiction of nature. However, photography in this era, particularly landscape photography, played a crucial role in shaping perceptions of land and identity. Consider the context: the rise of tourism, exploration, and the colonial project. Images like these shaped the idea of nationhood. Was Hudson, perhaps unconsciously, participating in this broader cultural project? What was the intended use of the album this was included in? Was it a personal travelogue or a document of a survey expedition? By examining the archives of photographic societies, travelogues, and colonial records, we might better understand the social and institutional forces that shaped Hudson’s work, revealing the complex interplay between art, culture, and power.