Bonnerville Dam, Portland, Oregon, Verenigde Staten: vrachtauto voor vervoer van puin 1936

Wouter Cool made this photograph of a truck for transporting rubble at the Bonnerville Dam in Portland, Oregon. While the exact date of the image is unknown, it speaks to the early twentieth century’s fascination with industrial progress. In the US, large-scale projects like the Bonnerville Dam were considered hallmarks of innovation and prosperity. This photograph captures not just a piece of machinery, but also the immense human effort behind such infrastructure. Cool, being Dutch, brings an interesting outside perspective to this distinctly American scene. His composition emphasizes the truck's robust presence, almost as if it were a monument to industrial capability. The presence of people in the background further contextualizes the machine within a broader social landscape. Understanding this work involves looking into the history of American industrialization, the role of Dutch engineers in global infrastructure projects, and the cultural narratives around progress in the early 20th century. It reminds us that art often reflects broader social, economic, and even transnational influences.