Road workers resting on Damrak in Amsterdam 1904

James Higson, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century, with photography, made this record of road workers resting on Damrak in Amsterdam. Look at the tonality, the way the image hovers between light and shadow – it feels somehow unresolved, incomplete, like a sketch or an unfinished painting. I'm drawn to the texture in this photograph, especially the contrast between the rough, uneven surface of the mound where the workers are resting and the smooth water of the canal in the background. This contrast adds depth and complexity to the image, hinting at the physical labor involved in the work and the calm, still nature of the location. Notice the shovels and tools casually strewn across the mound; they're almost like strokes of paint, adding to the overall composition. Higson’s work makes me think of Eugène Atget, a French photographer who documented the streets of Paris at the turn of the century. Both artists captured fleeting moments in time, transforming the everyday into something timeless and evocative. Ultimately, this photograph is about capturing a moment of quiet amidst the hustle and bustle of city life.