"Moreover Dutch colonialism was never grounded in religious zealotry." What's very noticeable in Holland, if you go there from Britain, where all our finest historic buildings are churches or cathedrals (the castles and halls tend to be large and furnished rather than fine), is that, even in the middle ages, it's always the town hall, where the weights and measures for regulating commerce were kept and money, law and guilds were, that are far far finer than the churches. Like us the wrecked the lot during the reformation, but even the exterior, even the Catholic south, it's the town halls that are swanky! I heard a very non-pc joke there, which, regardless of the other people involved, is so true of the dutch: they never give old stuff away like brits and americans, they always sell it: 'A Jew is someone who can buy from a Dutchman and sell to a Scotsman and make a profit.' I would have thought that was impossible though. posted by maiamaia at 7:50 AM on November 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
I just saw this exhibition last week and it really is very nice. I love old photographs of cities. I think it was last year that there was a great exhibition of colour plates of late 19th and early 20th Jerusalem curated by Empty Quarter. Luckily my office shares a building with the gallery so I can spend a week of lunchtimes pleasurably absorbed in the past. posted by atrazine at 8:51 AM on November 15, 2010
These remind me of Lehnert & Landrock's 19th Century photos of Egypt - I have a few of these framed in my house as souvenirs from Cairo.
posted by mykescipark at 7:38 AM on November 15, 2010