A Critical History of Photography in the Netherlands

Book excerpt: The themes of the Dutch Eyes exhibition were chosen for their significance to the history of photography as well as to the country's cultural history. Areas of particular interest include distinctive 19th-century photographs taken by engineers, the debate about photography's status as an art form at the start of the 20th century, the catastrophic flood in 1953, the former colonies, and \U+2018\the self-critical gaze'. This thematic approach makes it possible to see work by famous photographers alongside work by unknown figures who wielded the camera. The exhibition includes an abundance of work that has never previously been shown, from collections including those of the Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Leiden University's Print Room, Amsterdam City Archives and the Nederlands Fotomuseum.