Bezoek aan Zwolle 1932 - 1939

Herman Besselaar put together this photo album page, ‘Bezoek aan Zwolle,’ sometime in the 20th century. It’s all in black and white, which gives it a stark, documentary feel. I like to think about what it was like for Besselaar to wander around Zwolle, snapping these pictures. He's capturing slices of life in this Dutch town, a kind of flaneur with a camera. It’s like he’s saying, “Look at this, look at that,” turning everyday moments into something worth remembering. The market scene, the tower, the people just hanging out – there's a quiet sense of observation, a curiosity about the world. Putting them together like this turns the page into a personal, visual poem. And that’s what I’m always searching for in my own work - a way to bring disparate elements together in a way that speaks to the present.