Woning aan de Rue des Carmes te Brugge before 1889

This image depicts a house on the Rue des Carmes in Bruges, built around 1903. The lithographic print shows a brick building of considerable size and height, constructed with a level of craft we can still appreciate today. Consider the labor involved in extracting clay, preparing it, molding the bricks, firing them in a kiln, and then transporting them to the site. These are the repetitive, skilled actions of anonymous workers. The building's design shows an attention to detail in bricklaying, a testament to the enduring appeal of craft in the early twentieth century. Although this house may not seem overtly political, it subtly reflects the social and economic conditions of its time, when industrialization was transforming craft practices, and skilled labor was becoming increasingly specialized. Appreciating the materiality and construction of this building allows us to recognize the complex interplay between craft, design, and society at the turn of the century.