Vrouwen in klederdracht op een markt, met manden en een juk 1920 - 1940

This small photograph by G. Hidderley shows women in traditional dress at a market, complete with baskets and a yoke. It is clearly the result of the actions of the elements as much as the artist. The sepia tones evoke a sense of nostalgia, like an old memory fading around the edges. The surface shows its age, with scratches and imperfections that tell a story of handling and time. I imagine Hidderley, setting up his camera in the bustling marketplace, trying to capture a moment of everyday life. The women, their faces blurred, become anonymous figures in a tableau of labor and community. Look at the way the light bleeds into the edges of the frame, softening the details and creating an ethereal quality. It’s almost as if the image is dissolving back into the ether from which it came. Like the works of Atget, we see photography as a historical record and testament to fleeting moments of life. I am left wondering about the narratives contained within.