During the months of November to January, Henk Houben is presenting his photo series Cherished Past, Anchor for Tomorrow in the window display of Bureau Europa. In this series, he captured the disappearing Maastricht industry; his photographs show traces of labor without people, as a tribute to craftsmanship and solidarity.
For thirty-five years, Henk Houben was employed in the Maastricht ceramic industry. It was a period that brought him not only knowledge and experience, but also a lasting fascination for the industrial heritage of his city.
With the advent of the digital camera, his photography hobby received a new impulse in 1999. The gradual decline of Maastricht's manufacturing industry subsequently provided the impetus to document this special world through photography—a world that threatened to slowly disappear from the streetscape and from our collective memory.
What began out of personal dedication grew into an extensive photographic record of Maastricht's industry. Henk Houben captured, among others, SPHINX, MOSA, ENCI, the O-I Glass Factory, and SAPPI. His work was featured in various exhibitions and presentations, and appeared in several publications. In 2017, his exceptional full-color photo book SPHINX was published, a unique historical document and to this day the crowning achievement of his photographic work.
Striking in his photography is the absence of people, yet their presence is felt everywhere. The traces of their labor, the machinery, the abandoned spaces, and the weathered walls each tell their story.
"It is precisely the traces that people have left behind over the past two hundred years that I want to capture. To those traces, I want to impart a feeling, a vision, and a signature of my own." - Henk Houben
Behind these industrial monuments lies a history of craftsmanship, pride, hard work, perseverance, and solidarity. For generations of workers, life in the industry was by no means easy. It was often a tough existence in which people had to rely on one another, working together, helping each other, sharing joys and sorrows, and building on the hope for a better future. That history deserves lasting respect.
Over the past two hundred years, industrialization has profoundly transformed Maastricht: from a modest garrison town to an industrial pioneer, and ultimately into the modern, dynamic city it is today. Henk Houben’s photographs remind us of that evolution. They demonstrate that industrial heritage is much more than old buildings and machinery. It tells the story of who we were, where we come from, and what has shaped us.
Preserving that heritage is therefore not a matter of nostalgia, but of respect for our past and an investment in our identity and future. It keeps traditions alive and strengthens the sense of who we are.
The photo series can be viewed from the outside in the display window of Bureau Europa.
Dates: November 21 to January 22 Location: Display Window Bureau Europa, platform for architecture and design
Image: Henk Houben