Ingestorte katoenmolen te Nagoya before 1892

This photograph captures a cotton mill in Nagoya, Japan, in a state of collapse. Though the photographer is unknown, the image speaks volumes about labor, industry, and destruction. Bricks, timber, and shattered tiles dominate the scene; materials of sturdy construction turned to ruin. The building's skeleton is exposed, revealing its inner workings. The image implies intense labor that went into the building’s construction, now undone. The devastation suggests forces that can dwarf human effort, whether natural disaster or the consequences of war. The photograph reminds us that even the most solid-seeming structures are vulnerable. It asks us to consider the human cost of both creation and destruction, and the often-fragile relationship between industry and the people it employs. It’s a potent reminder of materiality but also the social forces that shape our world.