Promotieavond op de Technische School te Bandoeng 1933

This photograph, titled "Promotieavond op de Technische School te Bandoeng", captures a formal gathering at a technical school, with an anonymous photographer using a monochromatic palette to document a moment of institutional pride. It’s a study in greys and whites, a tonal scale that speaks to the seriousness of the occasion. Look closely at the arrangement of figures; the rows of faces create a grid-like pattern, each one a subtle variation on the theme of the group. The photographer seems less concerned with individual expression and more with the collective presence. There's a stillness to the image, a formality that feels almost staged, yet there's a sense of lived experience embedded in the details. This photo reminds me of some of the early work of Bernd and Hilla Becher. Both the Bechers and the anonymous photographer were interested in typologies, in capturing the essence of a particular subject through repetition and variation. In the end, this photograph is less about the individuals present and more about the idea of the institution itself, a symbol of knowledge, progress, and community.