English (one) (Anglais (un))

700 centenboek Amsterdam

1975

Tirages collés sur planche en carton

Transcription :

the „700 centenboek" is published by the gemeentegiro (municipal giro) to commemorate the 700th birthday of the city of amsterdam.

it is sold at cost price (700 cents) and can be seen as a kind of birthday present for all inhabitants of amsterdam from an institution which has an important part in the city's financial life.

the subject of this book is mainly those humble street adornments that you would usually pass without noticing, but which are together more characteristic for the city than its famous canal houses.

its author, jos houweling, is not a professional photographer.

his approach is simple and straightforward.

he wants to register things, to show them as they really are.

for this purpose each page is so arranged that similar objects are put together.

set off against each other in an endless variety of forms these objects show their real character.

this basic idea is best illustrated on pages 97-103, a serial approach of manhole covers topping off the city's sewage system, gas and water supply.

although the subject of this book is the very ordinary things which can be seen in the streets, some of them may come as a surprise to foreign visitors.

a few examples:

pages 11/12: many houses have little mirrors attached outside the windows in which the inhabitants can see who is ringing the bell or whatever is going on in the street without being seen themselves.

pages 20/21: people hanging out of their windows to chat with the neighbours or passers-by and watch the traffic are a familiar sight in working class areas.

page 55: street organs, once a familiar sight in the streets, are vanishing before world war II there were 36 licenses,

but their number is now reduced to 11.

pages 111-114, 118-120 and 122: the quay's of amsterdam waterways are lined with boats and house boats of which a thousand are officially registered.

another 1,100 however have crept in among them without a license.

Epreuves gélatino-argentiques

60 x 40 cm
chaque planche

Achat, 2016

Cabinet de la photographie