Gezicht op de Willemskade te Rotterdam c. 1853 - 1859

G. Schiebaan’s stereograph offers us a double vision of the Willemskade in Rotterdam. During the 19th century, Rotterdam was transforming into a global port city. Photography played a crucial role in documenting this urban development, and this image captures the grand architecture along the Willemskade, reflecting the city’s growing economic power. Stereographs, popular at the time, allowed viewers to experience a sense of depth and immersion, mirroring the ambitions of a city reaching for new heights. But consider what’s not pictured here – the lives of the working class who powered this expansion, the social inequalities that modernization often masked. As we observe the scene before us, we might reflect on whose stories are told and whose are left out of this particular vision of progress. Through Schiebaan's lens, we are invited to consider the multifaceted narratives embedded in the architecture and urban spaces around us.