Gezicht op de hoofdingang van Tanjong Pagar Dock Co. Ltd. in Singapore vanuit het Boustead Institute before 1905

This photograph of Tanjong Pagar Dock in Singapore, was captured by G.R. Lambert & Co. and, well, it’s a document, really. The sepia tones give it that old-timey feel, but what strikes me is how the light and shadow play across the buildings and street. You can almost feel the heat radiating from the ground. The way the details fade into the distance, it's like the whole scene is breathing. Look at the little figures scattered about. Each one frozen in time, yet full of implied movement. It reminds me of some of the cityscapes by Atget, that same feeling of a place caught between past and present, solid and ephemeral. It is a slice of life, a fleeting moment captured forever. Like any good artwork, it leaves you with more questions than answers.