Schepen op de Amstel bij de Magere Brug, gezien richting het noorden, Amsterdam 1867 - 1885

This is a photograph by Pieter Oosterhuis, capturing ships on the Amstel River by the Skinny Bridge in Amsterdam. Oosterhuis was working during a period of significant social and technological change. As photography became more accessible, it provided a new way to document urban life, yet it was also a period of intense class division. The image encapsulates this intersection; while the presence of ships suggests commerce and connectivity, the workers on the boats imply the labour that fueled this progress. There's an emotional stillness in the photograph, a quiet observation of daily life. Oosterhuis doesn't seem to be romanticizing the scene, but rather, offering a straightforward depiction of the city's relationship with its waterways. Consider this image as a social record, a testament to the lives of the working class within the burgeoning urban landscape of 19th-century Amsterdam. What does it tell us about labour, progress, and the ever-changing face of the city?