Postkantoor te midden van verwoestingen na de aardbeving in San Francisco 1906

This photographic print, by Tom M. Phillips, captures the post office amidst the devastation of the earthquake in San Francisco. Just imagine the emotional weight carried by the photographer, Phillips, as they set up their camera amidst the rubble and ruin of the city. It's a scene of stark contrast: the post office, still standing, yet surrounded by the chaotic aftermath. The monochrome palette lends a sense of timelessness, almost like a memory fading at the edges. You can almost feel the tremor of the earth, see the smoke rising from the fallen debris. What was Phillips thinking as they framed this shot? Were they hoping to document, to preserve, or perhaps to find a glimmer of hope amidst the destruction? A bit like art making, this image seems to capture a moment, a feeling, a collective experience.