(photograph © Kiwidutch)
The Haags Gemeentearchief (the Hague City Council Archive ) celebrated it’s 125th by placing many large billboards of photographs around the city.
All of them are photos of various points in the city taken between 20 and 150 years ago… and all are situated as close to the spot as possible (and where practical) to where the original photos were taken, so that viewer of the billboard can see both the past and present views.
I took photos of many of them whilst they were on view.
I am standing taking these photos on a four-way intersection. As per usual with Dutch streets, streets often change names at intersections. In this case each of the branches of the four-way intersection sports a different name.
If you are looking towards Tram Number 3 then the street you see will be Arnold Spoelplein, the same street behind you on the other side of the intersection then changes name to Lisztstraat.
If you have Arnold Spoelplein on your left side and Lisztstraat on your right, then the road in front of you (pointing in the direction of Laan Van Meerdervoort) will be Aaltje Noordewierstraat and behind you is then Tramstraat (upon which ironically there are no tram lines LOL).
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
Thus the four streets leading away from this one spot each have different names .. but in general, Tramstraat leads more to the district called Loosduinen and Aaltje Noordewierstraat leads to a district called Waldeck .
So, Now that I have you acquainted with the area, we can proceed to the billboard photo.
The Text on the billboard says: “Gezicht vanaf de verffabriek Premier op een deel van de toekomstige wijk Waldeck. Foto: Dienst Stadsontwikkeling en Volkshuisvesting, maat 1949.”
Translation: View from the “Premier” paint factory towards a part of the future neighbourhood Waldeck. Photo: Urban Development and Housing Department , March 1949.
As you can see, this area has changed vastly since 1949. Long gone are the market gardens that backed onto what used to be the outer edge of the city.
Today the view includes the Loosduinen terminus of The Hague’s Tram Line 3, apartments blocks, general housing and a former post office (building by the empty tram halt with orange signs). As per recent city council environmental efforts, the grasses by the tram stop have not been mown in the deliberate attempt to encourage bees, insects and butterflies.
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
Just think… probably seventy to eighty years ago the caterpillar ancestors of these butterflies had probably been munching on lettuce and cabbage leaves in the market gardens.
I love this post.
I am also inspired by history, was it near or distant, it does not matter to me. When taking photos from city views, it is also at same time like making a documentary. Views in towns and cities are changing so quickly that one forgets soon how it was looking 10 or 20 years ago.
Comment by sartenada — January 28, 2011 @ 6:22 am |
I know, in a neighbourhood I used to drive though sometimes, there was a big building, all of a sudden it was demolished and I just WISH I’d taken a photo of it before it went. (I had no clue they even planned to pull it down) It wasn’t especially beautiful but it was part of the local history of the neighborhood and even just to document the “before and after” would have been good.
I need to do many more “street” photos once I’m on my feet again – and make a “just in case” folder on my computer for them
Comment by kiwidutch — January 28, 2011 @ 7:29 am |
Kiwidutch,
A wonderful post. It sounds as though these billboards are only temporary? What a great idea it would be to make them permanent! I also love the idea of giving the bees and other micro-life a boost by leaving the grasses unmowed. Yes yes yes, take pictures of all those not-quite-fascinating-or-important-but-still-part-of-the-local-history buildings. When they’re gone, they’re gone forever.
Comment by jstwndrng — January 28, 2011 @ 6:04 pm |
Sadly they were only up for a short time, Himself and I had to race to photograph as many of them as possible whilst they were still up. Yes, I too WISH they had been permanent! They gave them away afterward on a lottery draw basis afterwards, Himself and I entered one favourite each but sadly weren’t one of the successful ones. It’s inspired me to take more “neighbourhood” photos.
Comment by kiwidutch — January 28, 2011 @ 6:33 pm |