Sf. Redjosarie Massecuitepomp 1923 - 1924

This photographic print in the Rijksmuseum shows the Sf. Redjosarie Massecuitepomp, authorship unknown. I wonder about the person who took this photograph. What did they think about this machine, this massecuitepomp? I imagine them circling it, trying to capture its essence, its purpose. The gears, captured mid-turn, seem to be reaching for something beyond the frame. Maybe they wanted to record the machine so it would not be forgotten; a monument to human ingenuity or a memento mori to the passing of industry? The contrasts in the monochrome highlight the material quality of the metal, the rough edges. It reminds me that every act of creation, whether it's a machine or a painting, is a conversation across time and space. The person who made this photograph wasn’t working in isolation, and neither am I. We're all part of a continuum, sharing ideas and inspiring each other.