Portret van drie mannen in Volendamse klederdracht, zittend en lezend c. 1900 - 1910

This sepia toned photograph by G. Hidderley shows three men in traditional Volendam attire, engrossed in a book or document. I'm picturing Hidderley, setting up his camera, adjusting the focus, maybe using a glass plate negative. The surface is quite dark and the light seems carefully managed, giving the photograph a soft, dreamlike quality. Look at the details in their fur hats and patterned neckerchiefs; it makes me wonder about their lives, their community, and what they're reading. It's like a scene from a novel, full of unspoken stories. Photography, like painting, is such a conversation between the artist and the world. It's a dance with light and shadow, a way of capturing a moment and turning it into something timeless. Hidderley has captured not just an image, but also a feeling, a sense of shared history and quiet contemplation. And that's what makes it so compelling, so alive, even after all these years.