Gang van Steenschuur 7 of Maison Wijtenburg te Leiden 1904

This photograph captures the hallway at Steenschuur 7, or Maison Wijtenburg, in Leiden. It was taken by an anonymous photographer working with Monumentenzorg. In this monochrome image, the hall seems to stretch out, light at the end. We see doors and windows lining the hallway, a symmetrical composition which gives the photograph a very clean feel. It is a moment suspended in time. The photograph is an architectural record, but it also hints at the stories held within these walls. It asks us to consider who walked these halls, what their lives were like, and how their stories have shaped the identity of this space. It is a reminder that architecture is never just about bricks and mortar; it's about the people and histories it houses.