Twee mannen verzorgen een paard na een gevecht bij Modderrivier, Zuid-Afrika 1900

This stereograph card, made around 1900 by an anonymous photographer, freezes a moment in the aftermath of a skirmish during the Second Boer War at Modder River, South Africa. The photographic process itself is key here. The albumen print, created using a solution of egg whites, gives the image its distinctive sepia tone and smooth surface. This was a widely used industrial process in the late 19th century, allowing for mass production and distribution of images to a public eager for glimpses into faraway lands and conflicts. Looking closer, the image portrays two men tending to a horse, likely used in the battle. The very act of care they are giving to the animal suggests a deep reliance on it as a tool of war. The contrast between the violence of battle and the tenderness of the moment is striking, made all the more poignant by the objective gaze of the camera. The photographer captured not just a scene but also a story of labor, conflict, and the bond between humans and animals in the context of imperial warfare, challenging our understanding of photography as a form of both documentation and art.