Gezicht op het monument voor het Leidens Ontzet ontworpen door Johan Coenraad Altorf 1924 - 1929

This anonymous photograph shows the monument for the Relief of Leiden, designed by Johan Coenraad Altorf. It's a black and white image, probably taken with a large format camera; the detail is pretty amazing. I like to imagine the photographer setting up their equipment, adjusting the focus, and waiting for the right moment to capture the monument in its best light. What was it like to be a photographer back then, lugging around heavy equipment and working with slow, painstaking processes? Did they see themselves as artists, historians, or something else entirely? The monument itself is a pretty solid piece of architecture; with wreaths laid at its base, commemorating the historical event. I feel that there is a conversation happening here between the monument maker, the photographer, and, heck, even me! Ideas about history, memory, and representation are constantly being reinterpreted. Each person adding their layer to an ongoing story. And that’s what art’s all about, isn’t it? Continuing the conversation.