Gezicht op een huis op de Gedempte Burgwal te Den Haag 1890 - 1910

This photograph, titled 'View of a house on the Gedempte Burgwal in The Hague', was taken by an anonymous photographer from Monumentenzorg, likely in the late 19th or early 20th century. It depicts a moment frozen in time, where social class and urban development intersect. Note the group of boys standing in front of the grand house. Their presence raises questions about their relationship to the building and its inhabitants. Are they residents, workers, or simply passers-by? Their clothes and demeanor speak to a different world than the one suggested by the house's architecture. The image captures the visible markers of social stratification, emphasizing class distinctions within the urban landscape. Consider, too, how the act of photographing itself – a technology still relatively new – contributes to the narrative. What does it mean to document this particular view, this moment in time? Does it preserve a piece of history, or does it also participate in constructing a certain version of it?