Opvang na de Aardbeving in San Francisco 1906

This stereograph, "Opvang na de Aardbeving in San Francisco" ("Relief after the San Francisco Earthquake"), was made in 1906 by Tom M. Phillips. Looking at this image, I think about all the photos I've ever taken—each one a desperate attempt to stop time, to hold onto a moment. You know, the kind of moment that just slips away, like sand through your fingers. In this photo, there are water wagons after the earthquake, surrounded by people in need. It's like Phillips was there to capture that moment, that very specific moment of gathering. I wonder what he was thinking as he framed the shot, this moment of community in the face of disaster. The clarity of the image is amazing. It reminds you that artists are always responding to each other, picking up on each other's ideas, and pushing them further. Art is, after all, a conversation across time.