Drie afbeeldingen van een gewone brug over de Elbe, een spoorbrug over de Elbe en een gezicht op de Elbe 1894

Wilhelm Dreesen captured these three photographic images of the Elbe River and its bridges. Dreesen, working in a period of rapid industrial expansion in Germany, presents us with a stark view of progress. The black and white images reflect a time of burgeoning nationalism and industrial might. Bridges are not just physical structures but symbols of connection, power, and control over the natural landscape. The absence of people in these images is striking. Instead, Dreesen focuses on the imposing architecture, perhaps mirroring the period's emphasis on industry over the individual. What does it mean to have progress without people? The Elbe, a vital artery for trade and transport, underscores the economic ambitions of the era. Dreesen invites us to consider the human cost of industrial advancement and to question whose stories are told and whose are left out of the frame. These silent bridges prompt reflection on the direction of progress and its impact on society.