Over the House-Tops, New York 1908

William E. Wilmerding made this photograph, Over the House-Tops, New York, at an unknown date using an unknown process. I like the image's tonal range, from pale whites and greys to dark, almost black areas, the smokestacks, and building tops. It's a beautiful, melancholy vision of a distant New York skyline. I love the atmospheric depth created by the smoke billowing over the city, partially obscuring a skyscraper and the Brooklyn Bridge. I’m trying to imagine the conditions that led to this shot. Was it cold? It feels cold. I imagine Wilmerding, a 19th-century photographer, perched on a rooftop, waiting for the right moment to capture the city in this way. It feels like a scene from Stieglitz. It’s an exchange of ideas across time, inspiring one another’s creativity. It reminds me that photography and painting can both capture a moment in time and, in doing so, allow for multiple interpretations.