Hotel Commodore, New York City 1919

Irving S. Underhill made this photograph of the Hotel Commodore in New York City in 1919. It's one of those images that captures a specific moment but feels timeless. The building rises up like a giant, its surface a grid of windows. It gives the impression of a city within a city, and if you look closely, you can see this pattern is interrupted by flags, light fixtures and cars that cut through the space around it. Look at how the sky is rendered – it’s not just blue, it has depth and movement, like a watercolor wash. For me, the magic is in the texture. It feels soft, dreamy, almost like a memory. The bridge that runs in front of the hotel creates a tangible space, one which reminds me of an Edward Hopper painting, where the mundane becomes extraordinary. Ultimately, the photograph feels more like a painting, something open to interpretation.