Baanwielrenners met toeschouwers before 1902

This monochrome image, ‘Baanwielrenners met toeschouwers’ by A. Reichwein, is a photograph pasted into a book. The grey tones and slightly blurred details convey a sense of movement. Look at the way the cyclists lean into the curves, the pressure visible in their postures. The image has a grainy texture, which I think adds to its vintage feel. It’s like looking at a memory, something slightly out of reach but undeniably present. The crowd is just a mass of indistinct shapes, but they’re essential. They give context to the race and make you wonder about the photographer, what they were thinking? It reminds me a little of some of the early modernist photographers, like László Moholy-Nagy, exploring movement and technology. But it also has a raw, documentary feel. There is no single meaning. It’s an impression, a moment captured in time.