A Picture = 1000 Words

We’ve all come across this statement somewhere, somehow. A picture is worth a thousand words is a statement to show that an image can have so many denotative or connotative signs that can be interpreted and expanded into a whole article or essay. I am a visual person; I’ve always enjoyed looking at picture books, going to the bookstore and flipping through books to find images that are worthy of snapping a picture in my phone.

I recently went to a photo exhibition. I found a picture that really made a deep impression on me. I stood in front of the picture for several minutes, looking closely at the details and why this picture is so significant to be placed in an exhibition. I am here to share with you that one image that basically “mind-fucked” me.

This image is taken in 1940 by an unknown photographer. The setting of this picture is at the Library at Holland House, Kensington, London. The photo was taken after an air raid. The image shows the library’s infrastructure destroyed by the air raid. Yet, there are people at the library, looking through the selves filled with books. Some are reading books. Even though the library has lost its roof because the German bombs destroyed it, the books were — surprisingly, left undamaged.

It is pretty shocking to see that with such destruction, the books remained untouched. It is also shocking to see that even after the air raid, men went to the library to read books. This shows the importance of books. I remember having read Fahrenheit 451 by Rad Bradbury, where in a dystopian world, books were outlawed and burned to avoid people from forming any ideas of going against the government. The overarching theme of the book shows the conflict between censorship and the freedom of thought.

This picture at the exhibition reminded me of the book. Not that the picture is showing censorship, but it shows that even in the midst of a war, where houses are being destroyed, people still come for the books. I’ve always been someone who believes in the importance of books. They are important because it builds on knowledge and information that allows people to form their own, distinct thoughts. What makes me more comforting is that we have digital e-books now. So even if the physical books are destroyed, we can still rely on digital books that are safely in the clouds.

But I certainly wouldn’t want physical books to disappear. The simple behavior of using my fingers to flip the page is a memory that I find to be soothing. Reading is comforting, but it is also the action of holding the book and having something physical to feel safe. Even though e-books help to preserve words and content, I still prefer going to the bookstore to buy real books. I hope that we never enter a dystopian world where physical books disappear. Books might be killing trees, but without books, it kills the freedom of thought.