Groep mannen langs de baan van de Amsterdamse IJsclub Possibly 1891

Sigmund Löw created this photograph of a group of men along the track of the Amsterdam Ice Club. It offers a glimpse into the social life of the late 19th century. Consider who is included and excluded from this picture. We see a gathering of men, formally dressed, which indicates a certain social status and economic privilege. The Amsterdam Ice Club, like many social organizations of its time, likely catered to a specific demographic, excluding women and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Winter sports became a leisure activity for the upper classes, reflecting the broader societal stratification. What stories are not being told here? Whose experiences are absent from this visual record? This image invites us to reflect on the dynamics of class, gender, and access that shaped leisure activities in the past, and the ways those dynamics continue to resonate today. It makes me wonder about the untold stories, the figures at the margins, who also longed to participate in these shared moments of community.