Schut- en Uitwateringssluis ten Westen van de Nieuwe Statenzijl 1907 Possibly 1907 - 1916

This black and white photograph by Tonnis Post, taken in 1907, shows the Schut- en Uitwateringssluis ten Westen van de Nieuwe Statenzijl, whatever that may be! The image feels industrial, a little rough, but also super considered in its composition. Look how the tones shift from dark to light, how the surface of the water reflects the sky and surrounding structures. The textures are amazing, you can almost feel the splintered wood and damp brick. It's so raw and honest, not trying to be pretty, but finding beauty in the everyday grit. My eye is drawn to the centre of the image where the dark opening makes you wonder what is beyond. Post's photo reminds me a little of some of Bernd and Hilla Becher's industrial photographs; there's a similar documentary approach, but with a touch more emotion, a little more vulnerability. Ultimately, photography, like any art form, is about seeing. It's about framing a moment, a perspective, and inviting us to look closer. And in this photograph, Post invites us to see the world in a way that is both familiar and strange.