Duitse militairen 1940

This album page of mounted photographs, titled Duitse militairen, by an anonymous maker, offers a glimpse into another time and place, a moment captured with a particular feel. Looking at these small images, I’m struck by how the crisp black and white tones create a sense of distance, yet the intimate scale draws you in. In the top right, a man sits at a typewriter. The image is sharply focused, yet there's a softness in the gradations of grey that reminds me of early photogravure prints. The light catches the side of his face, and you get a clear sense of a moment passing. That sharpness reminds me of the work of Bernd and Hilla Becher, who photographed industrial structures with similar objectivity. Like the Bechers, the anonymous photographer shows us something functional, while hinting at an unknowable, complex narrative. It makes me wonder about the nature of record keeping, and how these simple photographs might hold multiple, contradictory stories.