Isabel Wachenheimer in lange jas met Leo Blumensohn met gleufhoed op straat in Amsterdam, mei 1947 1947

This photograph of Isabel Wachenheimer and Leo Blumensohn in Amsterdam was taken in May 1947 by an anonymous photographer. The chemical process of black and white photography renders a moment into a reproducible artifact, but let's consider the materiality of what’s depicted. Both figures are wearing wool coats. The cloth would have begun as fleece, sheared from sheep, spun into yarn, then woven into fabric. This required intensive human and animal labor, and the labor continues in the tailoring, button making, and pressing of these garments. Their clothes are not ‘high fashion,’ but serviceable, well-made, and meant to last. Consider the cultural context in which this photo was taken: two years after the end of World War II, the subjects’ very survival bears witness to extreme historical circumstances. The photograph reminds us that even everyday objects can carry tremendous social weight. It challenges us to look beyond the image itself and consider the lives, labor, and historical processes woven into its very fabric.