Het transport van een luchtballon tijdens de opmars naar Johannesburg van Lord Roberts (Frederick Sleigh Roberts) 1901

This double image, a stereograph, shows the transport of a balloon during the advance to Johannesburg. Look at the way the photographer has arranged the shot, pulling our eyes across this vast, dry terrain. It’s wild to imagine what it must have been like to be there. Think about the technical skill, the huge effort, and the slow pace of moving such a giant object using oxen. The repetitive arrangement of animals and the soldiers walking alongside are all part of the same scene, a group effort that would require constant adjustments and corrections. I wonder about the anonymous artist and how they composed the photo. In a way, they were sketching a scene that needed to be just so, organizing the elements so they could capture a moment in time. When I zoom in, I can see that the surface is worn away, like a painting that has been repeatedly reworked. I appreciate the simple beauty of this image, like a conversation between the past and the present.