Interieur van het koor van de afgebrande Hervormde Kerk te Harmelen 1900

This haunting image of the burnt-out church in Harmelen was captured by an anonymous photographer using early photographic processes. Likely a combination of chemistry and optics was involved, and the choice of materials would greatly impact the final image. Look at the devastation, the texture of the crumbled walls, the heaps of debris, and consider the labor involved in both its original construction and its subsequent demolition by fire. This scene speaks of dramatic loss. Yet this photograph also captures the strange beauty of destruction. The anonymous photographer elevates the scene to something worthy of contemplation. In doing so, they challenge the way we think about photography. Is this a simple record of a moment in time, or something more? It encourages us to see value in the medium itself, and recognize the labor and materiality embedded in even the most seemingly straightforward images.