Noodbrug over de Maas Possibly 1940 - 1947

Curator: This photograph, "Noodbrug over de Maas," likely taken between 1940 and 1947, is a stark cityscape captured by Polygoon. Editor: The damage to the bridge is so evident; the fractured structure speaks volumes about conflict and impermanence. The image shows the destruction alongside the mundane details of daily life: piles of wood for repair, distant factories… I’m curious about your interpretation, especially concerning materiality. Curator: What strikes me is the material contrast between the solid, damaged bridge, the wooden beams laid out for its repair, and the photograph itself. The bridge, presumably built with concrete and steel—materials indicative of industrial progress—lies in ruins. Consider the labor involved: the initial construction, the destruction inflicted during wartime, and the planned reconstruction evident in the piles of timber. What does this cycle of creation and destruction tell us? Editor: So, you’re focusing on the raw materials and how they relate to human actions and historical events? Curator: Precisely. The photograph itself, made with specific chemical processes and material components, freezes a moment in time that underscores these tensions. Notice also the attached document—what does it reveal about the mediation of this image at the time of war, how meanings were being controlled through the image's materiality and publication? Editor: The document says that authorities did not believe the photograph would create problems with censorship. It reveals so much about power and information dissemination. It also provides an interesting glimpse of the social and political context. Curator: Yes, indeed. And don't forget to notice how materials are brought to create images: silver, paper, ink… Even its survival, its current existence as an object, testifies to its durability and subsequent re-interpretation as cultural memory. Editor: Thinking about materiality definitely adds a powerful layer to how I understand this photograph, beyond just seeing a ruined bridge. Curator: Indeed, by looking at the materials and processes involved, we uncover hidden narratives of labour, conflict, and societal control.