Ramp te Oud-Vossemeer op 13 maart 1906 1906

This is a small photograph by the brothers Van Straaten, of a flood in Oud-Vossemeer in the Netherlands, taken on March 13, 1906. Looking at this scene, I imagine the photographer placing the camera on its tripod in the street; getting into position on that day. What were they thinking and feeling? A lot of gray. The lack of color creates a somber mood that feels very matter-of-fact. The surface of the floodwater creates a mirror for the buildings, doubling and blurring their forms. This is an intriguing effect. It makes me think about the photographers who captured the Dust Bowl era in America. There's a similar feeling of bearing witness to a natural disaster and recording its impact on everyday life. What were the social and political contexts of the time? I wonder what the impact of the flood was, and if the photographers considered themselves to be photojournalists. Photographers, like painters, are always responding to their environment. It’s a form of embodied expression, embracing ambiguity and uncertainty. There are multiple stories here, all open to interpretation.