Man demonstreert hoe de Boeren vochten vanuit de loopgraven bij Colenso 1901

This stereo image probably dates from around 1901, and was made by an anonymous photographer, using bulky plate cameras, to show how the Boers fought from trenches at the Battle of Colenso. I’m struck by the way the photographer chose to depict the trench – it has a soft focus, a kind of blurriness. I keep thinking about the relationship between visibility and knowledge here. What do we really know about this scene? What do we see, and how does that seeing shape our understanding? I imagine the photographer, setting up their equipment in the field, trying to capture the intensity of the battle, the fear, and the confusion. In a way, photography and war both share a desire to capture a specific moment, to freeze it in time. But can they ever really succeed? The artist is showing us how a single image can hold so many stories, so many layers of meaning. It reminds me that art is never just about what we see, but also about what we feel, what we remember, and what we imagine.