Gezicht op Pergamon before 1869

This photograph, titled “Gezicht op Pergamon” and made by A. Svoboda, offers a glimpse into the past through the relatively new medium of photography. Consider the photographic process itself: a precise chemical interaction transforming light into image. This particular print, with its sepia tones and soft focus, speaks to the earlier days of the medium, when photography was as much craft as it was science. The choice of subject—the ancient city of Pergamon—adds another layer of meaning. Photography allowed for the mass dissemination of images. This would transform places like Pergamon from remote archaeological sites into destinations, fueled by tourism and its associated industries. The act of capturing and reproducing this image, once a laborious and specialized skill, now connects to wider social issues of access, representation, and the very nature of how we perceive history. It reminds us that every image, no matter how straightforward it seems, is the result of deliberate choices.