Speed c. 20th century

Robert Demachy made this small photograph, "Speed," using the gum bichromate process, which gives it that soft, almost painterly quality. Imagine Demachy in the darkroom, coaxing this image into being, layering those delicate tones to capture not just a car, but the feeling of velocity. The car itself is a blur, a dark smudge against the pale road, kicking up a cloud of dust. It's like he's trying to catch something fleeting, a moment that's already gone by the time you see it. The beauty here lies in the ambiguity, the way the details dissolve into a dreamy haze. It reminds me of Turner's seascapes, where the atmosphere swallows everything whole. Demachy wasn't just documenting speed; he was painting with light, exploring the edges of perception and memory.