Photo essay Light, laughter, life. The Owl House through Sam Reinders’ lens

Through the looking glass

Photojournalist Sam Reinders was given a new perspective on the enchanting Owl House in Nieu-Bethesda when she photographed it for the reissue of Anne Graaff’s pre-eminent book on the iconic artist Helen Martins and the place where she lived and worked.

Light fantastic

While the Owl House is eclectic and beautiful by day, it truly comes alive at night. It’s not often seen like that any more (it is only open to the public by day) but, while lighting the candles to get this image, I couldn’t help but wonder how much “Miss Helen”, as she is known here, would have liked to see the candle light flickering on the glass-encrusted ceilings or bouncing off the mirrors once again. Thousands of people visit this quirky house every year and, as a result, tourism in the small “dorpie” – guesthouses, coffee shops, restaurants and art galleries – has swelled. I think that, as reclusive as she was, this, too, would have put a smile on Helen’s face. >