Vier afbeeldingen van een stoomschip dat de haven verlaat, passagiers op een tussendek, het stoomschip Colombia en schepen op open water 1894

Wilhelm Dreesen made these four images of steamships and passengers using photography, a relatively new medium at the time. Photography’s dependence on light-sensitive chemistry and mechanical reproduction mirrors the industrial age these ships represent. Steamships themselves embody a technological leap, moving people and goods across vast distances with unprecedented speed. Look closely, and you can see the division of labor etched into the ship's structure. The smoke billowing from the chimneys speaks to the coal-fueled engine rooms below, while the covered passenger decks suggest segregated spaces for different classes. The very act of capturing these scenes through photography democratized image-making, once the sole domain of painting. This work challenges our perception of fine art by elevating an everyday scene through mechanical means. It reminds us that even the most utilitarian technologies carry social and cultural weight.