Gebouwen in de omgeving van het station te Apeldoorn 1890 - 1900

This print, "Gebouwen in de omgeving van het station te Apeldoorn," was made by Noach van der Waals. It shows buildings around the train station of Apeldoorn. The medium appears to be a form of industrial printmaking, probably photogravure, based on the tonality and fineness of detail. The image is broken into distinct vignettes, as though this was a tourist souvenir sheet. Consider the labor involved in translating a photograph into a printable image, and the scale of production it implies. The original photographs are credited at the bottom of the work. The built environment presented in the image is one of new bourgeois comfort, made possible by industrial expansion – indeed, by the railroad itself. By considering the material and processes used to create this print, we gain insight into the social context in which it was made and the values it represents, blurring the lines between fine art and everyday life.