Luchtbogen van de Grote of Maria Magdalenakerk te Goes 1890 - 1920

This photograph captures the flying buttresses of the Grote or Maria Magdalenakerk in Goes and was made by an anonymous photographer from Monumentenzorg. Consider that the identity of the photographer is, for all intents and purposes, lost to history. This act of anonymization stands in stark contrast to the named saint, Mary Magdalene, for whom the church is named. Magdalene, a figure both revered and historically maligned, was, according to some interpretations, a key witness to Christ's resurrection and therefore central to the foundation of the Church. By choosing the architectural structure of the building, rather than its namesake, this photograph encourages us to question the selective ways we choose to record and remember. Churches embody the intersection of faith, power, and community and serve as a visual reminder of how these forces shape our collective memory and built environment. Ultimately, this photograph invites us to reflect on the stories we tell, the histories we preserve, and the structures—both physical and social—that shape our understanding of identity and belonging.