Sf. Maron Koeltrog geheel gemonteerd op wagon ter verzending 1916 - 1924

This black and white photograph captures a Koeltrog mounted on a wagon. I wonder about the anonymous photographer, what were they thinking as they framed this shot? There's a formality to the way the Koeltrog is displayed, like a portrait of a machine ready for transport. You can almost feel the stillness of the moment. I imagine they were trying to capture something essential about industry, maybe even progress. This feels very different to the casual snapshots of the time. It reminds me of the work of other photographers of industry such as Bernd and Hilla Becher. They share a similar fascination with industrial structures, documented with a detached yet careful eye. The lack of information about the artist adds to the mystery, inviting us to project our own ideas. It suggests a conversation across time, where we, as viewers, become part of the ongoing process of making meaning.