Sommeldijksche straat 1903 - 1910

Hendrik Doijer made this photograph, Sommeldijksche straat, sometime between 1863 and 1925, during his lifetime. Imagine him there on that street, holding his camera, looking at the light. The photograph is a study in perspective, leading the eye down a street lined with tall palm trees. The trees create a kind of architectural structure, framing the view and guiding us into the distance. It’s all about seeing—how light and shadow play, how shapes repeat and vary. I wonder what Doijer was thinking about as he framed this shot. Was he interested in the geometry of the scene, the way the trees create a sense of depth? Or was he more drawn to the atmosphere, the feeling of being in this place at that particular moment? It reminds me of other photographers, like Eugène Atget, who documented the streets of Paris with a similar eye for detail and atmosphere. All artists are in conversation, using their own practices to record, preserve, and explore the world. The image invites us to bring our own experiences and interpretations, letting it shift and change with us over time.