Gezicht op een tingroeve te Koba met transportband, pompinstallatie en mijnwerkers c. 1900 - 1920

This is an anonymous photograph called “Gezicht op een tingroeve te Koba met transportband, pompinstallatie en mijnwerkers”, which, as far as I can tell, depicts a tin mine in Koba, complete with a conveyor belt, pumping installation and miners. It's a busy scene, with lots of figures populating the landscape. The overall effect is kind of grey and muddled. The composition is what I would call, "all over," as it's hard to find a single focal point. I’m imagining the photographer here—they've shown up to document this industry, but maybe, like me, they're also wondering about the human impact, about what it's like to work in a mine. What did these people dream about? Did they see themselves as part of a larger global system, or were they just trying to get through the day? The photograph seems to struggle to get purchase on the scene, just like the workers who must navigate these muddy and uncertain pathways. Anonymous artworks can give you a lot to think about, especially if, like me, you are into the whole idea of ambiguity.