Drie foto's van klassen van de Godelindeschool, Hilversum 1910

These black and white photographs are from an album by Carolina (Loentje) Frederika Onnen, and they capture different classes at the Godelindeschool in Hilversum, likely around 1910. I imagine Loentje lining up the students, trying to get them to stay still long enough for the camera. There’s a softness to the image, a gentle haze that feels both intimate and distant. The way Loentje has arranged these three photos on the album page reminds me of a triptych, each image a slightly different perspective on the same story. The sepia tones evoke a sense of nostalgia, of looking back at a time that feels both familiar and irrevocably lost. The arrangement of the photos speaks to a kind of playful experimentation – not unlike the collaged elements in, say, Kurt Schwitters’ work. It's like she is building up a composition that embraces chance and imperfection. Photography, like painting, is always in dialogue with what came before, building on and transforming earlier ideas. Each artist leaves their mark, contributing to the ever-evolving conversation.