Straatgezicht te Peking before 1920

Donald Mennie made this photograph, Straatgezicht te Peking, using light, chemistry, and paper. The image is sepia toned, with the muted browns, tans and creams giving it an antique, historical feeling. I think of Mennie carefully arranging the scene and waiting for the right moment to capture the hustle and bustle of the street. I imagine him, the artist, standing there, hidden behind the camera, trying to capture the life in front of him. He captures the architecture, and you can sense the energy of the people going about their daily lives. The composition is really interesting; the buildings rise in the background and pull you through the image. The light gives shape to the forms. It reminds me a bit of Atget’s photographs of Paris, full of detail and humanity, and how artists are always in dialogue with each other, across time and place. This image feels like a moment frozen, a story told in shades.