Het laboratorium van de fabriek op Madura c. 1910

This photograph, “Het laboratorium van de fabriek op Madura,” shows us a laboratory from an unknown date by Frits Freerks Fontein Fz. What intrigues me about it is the way the sepia tones and grainy texture almost obscure the scientific rigor of the space. The photo feels less about precision and more about process. Each piece of glassware, each bottle lined up on the shelves, tells a story of experimentation and potential discovery. The light catches the glass, making them glow softly, like the light from old film. I find myself drawn to the flasks and test tubes arranged haphazardly on the bench, their shapes creating an accidental composition. This image reminds me of Bernd and Hilla Becher’s typologies, but warmer and more intimate, a silent ode to the beauty found in the everyday.