Bochum Possibly 1939

This is a page from an anonymous photograph album, a collection of views of Bochum. Each of the images, though small, is carefully mounted and arranged across the surface. The process here is one of curating a personal vision of a place, through careful selection. The choice of images and their arrangement evokes a sense of civic pride, recording the architectural highlights of the town, as well as its green spaces. The even tonality of the monochrome creates a somber, perhaps nostalgic mood, that invites reflection on the passing of time. The hand-written title of ‘Bochum’ provides a gentle, personal touch, drawing the various scenes together. The act of collecting, arranging and archiving images in this way resonates with the photo collages of Hannah Hoch, who uses found images as a means to record and reflect on the culture of her time. Ultimately, this album page celebrates Bochum’s identity while reflecting on the way we make sense of places through the power of images and memory.