Kuilenburgse spoorbrug over de Lek 1868 - 1885

This stereograph of the Kuilenburg railway bridge over the Lek was created by Pieter Oosterhuis. The bridge, a feat of 19th-century engineering, cuts a strong visual line, yet it is the figures of the workers that draw me in. These men, whose labor literally built the modern world, are here captured in a moment of what seems like pride, even camaraderie. Think about how class and identity intersect in this image; the men pictured were part of a massive industrial workforce, yet the photograph also seems to affirm their individual dignity. The question of who is seen and who remains unseen, or rather, who gets to be a subject and who remains a faceless mass, is a crucial one when we consider the social impact of industrialization. This image allows us to meditate on the complex relationship between progress, labor, and human identity.