Sculpture Hall op het terrein van de wereldtentoonstelling in St. Louis (Louisiana Purchase Exposition), 1904 1904

Here is the photographic print "Sculpture Hall op het terrein van de wereldtentoonstelling in St. Louis (Louisiana Purchase Exposition)" made in 1904 by Jan Schüller. Look at the way the light is hitting the side of the building and how the trees in the foreground create a sense of depth. I'm thinking about the way the photograph has aged, the way the image is offset by the discoloration around the edges. It's got this vintage feel, like it’s telling a story beyond the Sculpture Hall itself. I can imagine Schüller setting up his camera, carefully framing the shot, and waiting for the right moment to capture the scene. There is a certain stillness in this image, a quiet observation of a moment in time. Looking at this photograph makes me think about how we preserve and document our experiences. It is through these gestures of documentation that one generation speaks to the next. Each artist adding to the conversation.