Twee vrouwen en een man op een kademuur in Le Passage (Bretagne) 1901

This small photograph shows two women and a man sitting on a quay wall in Le Passage, Brittany, and was made by an unknown photographer with the surname Delizy. The image captures a fleeting moment of leisure, but it also provides insights into the social conventions and class distinctions of its time. The figures are dressed in fashionable attire, suggesting their belonging to the middle or upper class. Seated by the sea, the work evokes the rise of leisure activities and tourism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Brittany became a popular destination for artists and tourists, drawn to its picturesque landscapes and distinct culture. The composition and soft focus lend the photograph a sense of nostalgia, hinting at the ephemeral nature of such moments. To fully understand this photograph, we could delve into the history of tourism in Brittany. The social history of photography itself and its use as a tool for documentation and self-representation would provide further insight.