Achterzijde van The Art Building op het terrein van de wereldtentoonstelling in St. Louis (Louisiana Purchase Exposition), 1904 1904

This photograph of the back of the art building at the world exhibition in St. Louis was taken in 1904 by Jan Schüller. It's a small print, just a few inches tall. It's a bit faded and has a sepia tone that makes everything feel distant. The photograph documents a moment in time, but also feels so still. I wonder what Schüller was thinking when they made it? Maybe he was trying to capture the grandeur of the building, or maybe they were just trying to document the event. There's something about the way the light hits the building that makes it feel almost ethereal. Like it's not quite real. And the shadows add a sense of depth and mystery. There's a quietness here that invites reflection. A reminder that even grand structures fade, just as photographs age, yet both still have the power to provoke thought and feeling.