Interieur van de Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam, zoals dat was bij de inhuldiging van Wilhelmina als koningin 1898

Sigmund Löw captured this sepia-toned photograph of the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam, during Queen Wilhelmina's inauguration. The image evokes the solemnity of the event. The eye is drawn to the grand architecture adorned with draped fabrics and banners. The materiality of these textiles, likely mass-produced, speaks to the Industrial Revolution's impact. Consider the labor involved, from the cultivation of raw materials like cotton or silk, to the mechanized weaving and printing processes. Each banner, each drape, represents countless hours of labor, often unseen, yet essential to the spectacle of royalty. Löw's photograph immortalizes a moment where traditional power intersects with modern modes of production. The pomp and circumstance rely on the labor and materials of the working class, subtly revealing the complex relationship between power, production, and social class.