Half of a main girder in the F. Kloos & Zonen factory in Kinderdijk 1902 - 1905

This photograph, by Arnaud Pistoor & Zoon, shows the making of the 'Half of a main girder in the F. Kloos & Zonen factory in Kinderdijk'. I imagine them, the photographer and the factory workers, all in a state of concentration. Can you feel that? The commitment. The intention. The air in the room, thick with industry and labour. The men are far away, like tiny figures lost in time. It feels like a photograph of a stage set, or a film still. It's almost like you're meant to be in the picture. You could be there, feeling the texture of the girder, smelling the air. What it must have been like to make something so huge. A cathedral of industry. This image shares its concerns with other paintings and photographs, and all those who continue to investigate the built environment. Photographs like this remind me that artists are in an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time, inspiring one another’s creativity.