Gezicht op de Hervormde Kerk te Raamsdonk 1907

This is a photo of the Hervormde Kerk in Raamsdonk, and was made by someone at Monumentenzorg. The monochromatic tones pull me right in. I can almost smell the darkroom chemicals, and see the careful dodging and burning the photographer must have done to bring out the church tower against the slightly ominous sky. I feel a connection to the person who framed this shot; they’re trying to communicate something about history, about the weight of tradition, the way time seems to gather and press down on things. The dark foreground contrasts with the light of the church; the whole photo feels as though it is emerging from the shadows. It reminds me of Eugène Atget, who obsessively photographed Paris buildings. There is a similar feeling for posterity. The photographer is in conversation with people today. The image makes you wonder about what we choose to preserve, and how these choices define how we think about the past.