Bijeenkomst van leerlingen van Schule Schloss Salem tijdens een schoolverkiezing c. 1929

This is an undated photograph by an anonymous artist of a gathering of students in what looks like a school election at Schule Schloss Salem. I look at this scene and I think about what these kids are thinking. Like, are they bored, nervous, or excited? Are they listening or zoning out? Or are they full of ideas? You can feel the seriousness of the moment, can’t you? I bet that table has seen a lot of important discussions. You know, I bet that even though we don't know who made this, that whoever took this photo was trying to capture not just what it looked like but what it felt like. It’s like they wanted to freeze this specific feeling of anticipation and maybe a little bit of anxiety. We might not know who took this photo, but I feel like they’re part of this ongoing conversation we all have, trying to make sense of the world through images. They’re capturing a moment in time but also a feeling, a mood, something bigger than just what’s in front of the camera.