In 1953, life along the Elandsgracht in Amsterdam buzzed with a mix of activity and everyday routines. Set in a period of post-World War II reconstruction, the gracht reflected a city recovering and slowly coming back to life. In the photo, on the left, you can see coffeehouse De Eland. In the center is the bicycle shop De Zon. On the right, a Peugeot 202 is parked. Next to the car stands the driver’s seat, which the owner had placed beside the vehicle. He had just stepped away, likely to buy cigarettes, when the photo was taken.
