Gezicht op Zandvoort c. 1890 - 1900

Editor: This gelatin-silver print, "Gezicht op Zandvoort," was taken by A. Bakels Sr. sometime between 1890 and 1900. It has a quiet stillness to it, even though it depicts a whole town. What sort of stories do you think this town holds? Curator: Ah, yes, a compelling document of a bygone era. The cityscape itself, notice how it’s dominated by the church spire. Do you see how that single vertical element punctuates the horizontal spread of houses? It acts as a potent symbol, not just of faith but of the community’s core values at the time, maybe even acting as a moral compass overlooking the lives and behaviours of the town's citizens. Editor: That's a great observation. The spire's certainly prominent. But it also feels a bit distant from those closer buildings. Curator: Precisely. Consider the visual weight—the photographer, likely consciously, chose a vantage point. The architecture in the foreground—the precise geometry of windows, doors—draws our attention, while the spire, almost ghost-like, seems part of the atmosphere. Do you agree that such compositions play with memory, of both presence and distance, the earthly and the divine? It presents questions of commerce, dwelling, spirituality. Editor: It certainly gives a sense of history unfolding. The architecture is more immediate, the church representing the old values in the distance. What stays with you most from the image? Curator: How everyday moments like this photograph become a collective cultural artifact, a memory we can all tap into despite not living in Zandvoort back then. To ask, and attempt to address, What stories and feelings can one black and white image inspire? What meaning, feeling or emotion? It reminds me that a photograph is more than what’s just in the image. Editor: I agree completely. I will definitely keep that in mind from now on.