's Lands Hospitaal / Paramaribo / Ned. Guyana 1934 - 1935

This photographic print by Augusta Curiel captures the 's Lands Hospitaal in Paramaribo, back in the day. I imagine Curiel with her camera, framing this scene. It makes you wonder what she was thinking about when she chose this viewpoint. Maybe she was interested in the composition, lining up the ambulance with the architecture. Or was it just a way of documenting the place? You have to wonder, what does it mean to document something? I feel that photography, like painting, is about seeing – not just recording what's there, but also capturing a mood or a feeling. Curiel’s perspective, her choice of what to include and what to leave out, is what makes this more than just a snapshot. It’s a statement, a way of seeing the world through her eyes. It is an ongoing conversation across time.