Nervische ossenwagen, bij een optocht voor de spoorwegen in Brussel 1885

This photograph of a parade in Brussels, featuring a wagon pulled by oxen, was taken by Hector Colard. Colard made this image at a time when the Industrial Revolution was transforming European society. The railways were at the forefront of this change, symbolizing progress and connecting distant regions. The parade itself was a public display intended to celebrate the achievements of the railway industry, but also the future and the possibilities that technology could bring. The use of oxen, however, presents an interesting contrast. Oxen, as draft animals, represent an older, agrarian way of life. This juxtaposition invites us to consider the social and cultural tensions inherent in industrialization. While the railways promised modernity, the image also acknowledges the traditions and ways of life being altered in the process. It captures a moment where the past and the future intersect. There is a sense of spectacle here, but it is also tinged with a certain melancholy, as we recognize the human cost of progress and change.