The moment our appreciation for the role of construction in civilization and society starts to drift, we begin to lose our regard for the resourcefulness that makes the construction world so inspiring. The moment we turn blasé about the wonder of the work, the contributions of all the minds and mighty efforts, we lose our gratitude for the splendid benefits of things as simple as clean running water and a roof over our heads.
We value ENR's annual photo contest because it helps us see construction through the lenses of photographers who are concentrating on capturing the deeper meanings of the industry. We are reminded anew of its significance, and we regain a level of appreciation for it that craftspeople and construction professionals, who work heads-down day after day, may sometimes lose. At the debut of London's Crystal Palace in 1851, for example, one writer remarked how the steel, which started as "coarse, rude particles" in the earth, and the glass plates, which started as "sandy masses without form," had been transformed by "a little fire and art."