May 25, 2009

Vintage Photo: Two Guys and a Tree

Today I found this old photo portraying a couple of guys in the Old Town of Stockholm. It was being displayed at the Nordiska muséet in a small exhibition about photography of everyday life and people. I'm sorry didn't note when or by whom it was taken but let's say (please do correct me) it's from about 1920-30. UPDATE: Josephzohn says "The old photo was taken by Gösta Spång in February 1924, 20 minutes past 3 in the afternoon!" which is confirmed here. Anyway, I immediately liked it, the composition, the tree and the guys. I also felt that the place was familiar, not that I knew exactly where but I knew I'd find it. With some luck I found it straight away (very close to where Josephzohn works, by the way).

The tiny tree was much larger but the houses in the background looked exactly the same (as they should in this part of Stockholm). I wanted to take a photo from more or less the same position but, damn it, they had put up a statue between the photographers position and the tree! Bastards. So I had to move in front of the statue to shoot it. As you can see in the larger compiled image of then and now the now-tree ended up a bit to the right of the then-tree. Either they moved it, perhaps it's even another tree planted later, or I simply should have moved a bit to the right. I had to manipulate today's photo to make everything but the tree fit, so the angle was somewhat off.


Tyska Stallplan (Wikipedia)


Wikipedia have this great (1,977 × 767 pixels) panoramic photo by Mats Halldin. Thanks. Click it!

More:
- Prästgatan No. 80 (Flickr)
- Mårten Trotzigs Gränd (Wikipedia)
- The relief plaque seen on the wall behind the guys says painter Carl Larsson was born at Prästgatan No. 78.
- "The most beautiful corner in/of Stockholm."

If you want to see the place on a 3D map click here and turn the view completely around or for the street view.
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Related post:
Photo: Now and Then
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