Twee mannen op de toren van de Posthoornkerk aan de Haarlemmerstraat 1920 - 1970

This small, monochromatic photograph, titled "Two Men on the Tower of the Posthoornkerk on the Haarlemmerstraat," was made by the Vereenigde Foto-bureaux Amsterdam, though we don't know exactly when. It looks like a straightforward documentary image, but I can't help but think about process here. Not necessarily the process of the men in the image, working at height. No, I mean the process of the photographer. What kind of exposure was needed to get this sharp image of a city viewed from above? And how much patience to wait for those two workers to get into position? I am interested in the gradient of tones, from dark shadows on the bricks in the foreground to the barely-there haze on the horizon line. The physical texture of the bricks contrasts with the smooth gradation of tone further away. The whole thing is so carefully composed. For me, this piece speaks to the work of Bernd and Hilla Becher and their typologies of industrial architecture. But I am also reminded of the urban landscapes of Atget. Anyway, what do I know?!