Insteekalbum met foto's van het gezin van Hendrik Herman van den Berg in Klarenbeek en Bussum, met Caroline en Carel van den Berg Possibly 1912 - 1917

This is a photograph album made around 1912 by Hendrik Herman van den Berg, documenting his family in Klarenbeek and Bussum. Look at the handwritten inscription: "Juli-Aug. 1912." Handwriting itself is a potent symbol—a direct trace of the individual, a tangible link to their thoughts and presence. Consider how handwriting, like other forms of personal expression, carries an almost totemic power. Think of ancient runes or medieval illuminated manuscripts, where the very act of writing was imbued with sacred or magical qualities. Even today, we analyze handwriting for clues to personality, as if the strokes and curves hold secrets to the soul. This simple inscription serves as a poignant reminder of time's passage and the enduring human desire to capture and preserve fleeting moments. This impulse echoes through history, connecting us to the cave painters of Lascaux, driven by a similar need to leave their mark, to defy oblivion.