Gezicht op het Singel, in de verte de Munttoren 1904

This photograph of the Singel in Amsterdam, with the Munttoren in the distance, was taken by James Higson sometime between 1862 and 1933. It’s a sepia toned image, full of browns and creams, where the marks are made by light itself. Looking closely, you see how the reflections in the water become broken up, almost abstract, under the prows of the boats. In the foreground, a small rowboat is the darkest thing in the picture, a dark pool, in contrast to the architectural details of the buildings across the canal which appear clear and defined. The surface of the water is smooth and reflective towards the middle ground, where boats, and people seem suspended. I keep thinking about Eugène Atget, the way he also captured fleeting moments of everyday life, his deep commitment to documenting the ordinary world, especially Paris, before it changed forever. Like Atget, Higson seems to embrace the beauty of a single moment. It's about seeing and noticing what's there.