In the introduction to his book De Ramp (The Disaster) from 1992, Kees Slager writes: ‘In the hours during which the disaster took place, no photographs were made at all; it was dark and besides, people had other things on their minds. Most photographs of the disaster were taken after the storm had died down, and the water was therefore a lot less wild’.

This photo collection has great historical value, but it is an illusion to think that the photographs give an objective image of the disaster. Digitization of the complete collection has shown even more clearly that the photographers all give their own subjective view. The points of view and moments are based on personal choice and often the focus is on subjects that appealed to the photographer or his patron (for instance the numerous horses in the photo report by Ed van der Elsken).

Photography and the media
The photograph as a symbol