Interieur met orgel van de Lutherse kerk te Den Haag 1912

This photo of the Lutheran Church in The Hague was taken in February 1912 by an anonymous photographer. I love that the photo is sort of a non-photo, like it's not trying to sell me anything. The photographer seems preoccupied with the challenge of capturing the church's voluminous interior. I think it might have been a challenge because it's all in washed-out grays. What could they do with that? The eye is immediately drawn to the grand organ, which is framed by a window, a source of natural light. You can almost hear the sound. They were probably thinking about Bach or Buxtehude, or maybe they were into more modern composers. I feel that the photo is a bit like looking at a painting by an old master—quiet and contemplative, yet grand in scope. It reminds me of the work of other photographers, especially those interested in architecture and the way light can transform a space. It’s interesting to consider how the simple act of documenting a space can become an art form in itself, as well as a way of keeping a record of how things were.