Str鷤et very long ago, a photo from Kobenhavn, East

Photographer's Note

Here is one more oldie, taken more than 55 years ago, before I return to the digital era. Of course it's not a good photo, but I post it for one special reason: It is my first (and probably last) photo from Denmark. I have always found it embarrassing that I didn't have any pictures from here, since Denmark is one of Sweden's closest neighbours. Now only Norway remains a major embarrassment. (I spent my first 20 years close to the Norwegian border!)

This shows a small part of Str鷤et, a chain of pedestrian streets and squares in central Copenhagen covering a total length of 1,1 km. It was probably one of the first officially pedestrian streets of a reasonable length in the world when it was formalized in the early 1960's. Traditionally these streets had been popular for leisurely strolls since the 19th century.

'Str鷤et' is a logical name, meaning roughly 'the pedestrian street'.

I took this photo during my first visit to Denmark in 1966. I was on my way home from a journey to England, going overland through Belgium, Netherlands and West Germany.

The map coordinates 55.67888 12.57882 (just click at Map:view) will help you compare this view with what it looks like today.

This was scanned from a Kodak Plus X negative.

ikeharel, aliabazari, Fis2, jean113, pierrefonds, jhm, Royaldevon, mcmtanyel, COSTANTINO, PaulVDV, ChrisJ, adramad, worldcitizen has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

pajaran (117201) 2022-02-06 0:39

Pozdrav.

Lep pogled i trenutak, interesantan i dobar tekst ...
Lep deo grada i arhitektura, dobro pokazano sa lepim konatrtsom, perpsketivom i uhvacenim trenutkom sa prolaznicima.
Dobar rad, lepa crno bela fotografija.
lepo secanje.

Zelim vam lep dan za odmor, sve najbolje.
Paja

ikeharel (114751) 2022-02-06 0:44

Good morning Gert,
A very old picture indeed, from the time when I got my first camera...
Notable are the old style clothes people wearing on this picture, yet i believe the buildings looks almost the sme nowadays.
Have a nice sunday,
Ike

Fis2 (172083) 2022-02-06 1:08

Witaj Gert!
Wow!!!
Excellent b&w picture from 1966, I love it.
Interesting scene from street.
Well done.
Have a nice sunday.
Krzysztof

aliabazari (23401) 2022-02-06 1:13

Hi dear friend Gert
A good record of the daily life of the Danish people with the new experiences that were taking shape. You've taken us back in time by car and it's worth it. I think it will be a pleasure for you to rediscover these images from your archive. Thanks for sharing

Silvio1953 (223103) 2022-02-06 4:33

Ciao Gert, beautiful B&W, great perspective on fantastic street full of life, splendid light, fine details and excellent clarity, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

jean113 (28349) 2022-02-06 5:24

Hello Gert, very definitely a shot from the 60s, the fashion an aid to identifying the time.
Looking at the map the large building ahead of you is still there, and the street looks very smart with neat paving.
Thanks for sharing this interesting view.
Kind regards, Jean.

pierrefonds (115677) 2022-02-06 5:30

Hi Gert,

You have captured well a daily life scene. The point of view is showing the details of the buildings. The black and white is giving a good contrast to the scene. Have a nice day.

Pierre

jhm (211738) 2022-02-06 5:47

Hello Krzysztof,

Forty-five years old, more this image is still perfectly in my mind, I was already out with my five-year-old son at the time.
Pleasant black and white picture too.
An excellent composition, nice presentation too.
Very well done, TFS.

Best regards,
John

Royaldevon (86564) 2022-02-06 7:09

Hello Gert,

I remember you referring to your trip to England previously. It must have been very interesting to travel back to Sweden through the Low Countries and Denmark.
I immediately looked at the fashions, skirts much shorter and those two fashionable ladies walking towards you, carrying handbags that were like small, trendy suitcases!
I wonder if the fashions were comparable in each of the countries you crossed. Maybe you wouldn't have noticed, though most people (women and men included) liked having or seeing shorter dresses and skirts!

It's a fine journey back in time. What a revolution, to have a busy main street pedestrianised! It is still very busy but not with vehicles!

It's interesting following the route of the pedestrianised road, to notice the building styles, very tall, with roof level enhancements.
I'm curious, what are those features hanging above the street? Are they lights as I cannot see any lampposts?

Thanks for sharing this,
Bev :-)

Tue (93592) 2022-02-06 8:36

Hej Gert,
Det er godt at Danmark nu ogs� er kommet med i din samling her! Jeg kan godt genkende stedet selvf鷲gelig med de forskellige bygninger omkring torvet her, men ellers er der meget der havde 熡dret sig her f鷨 jeg bes鷤te K鷷enhavn for f鷨st gang i slutningen af 90erne. Det ser ud til at der ogs� stadig k鷨te en sporvogn.
Lars

jmdias (116635) 2022-02-06 9:33

gert

if you didn't visited even norway I can forgive you for never have visited Brazil. haha.
but we are even this way, I never visited the 6th largest canyon in the world located 200 km far from my home, nor the ruins of a spanish town located 50 km far from my home, but
I have a plan..
a nice image in B&W, in these days I will be in the same age of the blond boy in the bike. I imagine the fa蓷des were not so clean in those days as today.

take care

jorge

lousat (140070) 2022-02-06 10:59

Hi Gert,This city was one of the first I visited during my travels, it was 1992 and I thought I was one of the first, but you have been there a long time before, when I was 2 years old ... hehe ... in fact no matter the quality of the photo, it is a beautiful view of the pedestrian street with the typical attires of the time, almost a museum photo, you must be proud to have an archive of this thickness! Have a nice evening and thanks,Luciano

mcmtanyel (69384) 2022-02-06 17:35

Hello Gert,
What can I say?
"Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way."
I miss those days of my childhood.
Regards,
MT

ifege (49617) 2022-02-06 21:41

Hi Gert
This is nearly as old as my oldest on TE (1964 photos of Sydney). I've only got one photo of Denmark on TE too from my one visit in 1972.
This one isn't perfect but that's OK as it captures the feeling and especially clothes of the time.
cheers
Ian

mkamionka (75255) 2022-02-07 1:20

Hi Gert,
This photo attracted my attention manly because I have uploaded one from a similar POV:
https://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Denmark/East/Kobenhavn//photo1580921.htm
In my standards this was already an archival photo but it was taken 40 years after yours.
Interesting to see the changes.
Very well done, and congratulations on ticking off Denmark.
Sadly the maps are frozen so the map will forever remind you about your embarrassment :)
M

emka (158962) 2022-02-07 1:41

Hello Gert, I always wonder why you have not shown (or visited) your neighbouring countries. Norway is one of the most beautiful countries in the world and you have a family there. They are very expensive countries but for the Swede, it shouldn't be the problem. Copenhagen was horrible in this respect. I found the place in the Google Map, now it looks quite different. I do not remember if I have been there. Maybe I will check it later.
In 1966 I was with my parents in Hungary, that time, with not much possibility for travels, it was an attractive destination. I still remember the names of
dishes in Hungarian. I could read the menu and maybe I could understand it also now. Probably I have some photos but I have no idea where.

best regards MAlgo

COSTANTINO (117940) 2022-02-07 12:01

Hello dear Gert and have a nice day
this photo in sepia is one
of the best
this choice in sepia
adds interest and art
regards
costantino

GyurMaster (25067) 2022-02-07 12:18

Dear Gert,

I have checked the area and for my greatest surprise and satisfaction, it basically looks the same. Of course some buildings have been renovated, but essentially the place is the same in an architectural sense. What perhaps changed that the area is filled with fancy and expensive shops for tourists instead of the woman with her son on the bicycle. Anyhow it is a fine documentary!

Best Wishes,
Gy.

PS: Thank you for your kind words on my latest photo. And yes, man has to prepare for (stupid) questions! :)

PaulVDV (63574) 2022-02-08 0:31

Hello Gert,
1966 was a time when only few people in Belgium travelled internationally. However, it started somewhere in the 1960s, but for most people limited to France, the then still cheap Italy and the dirt cheap Spain. Or on a very short trip not far across the border.
I've been in Denmark and in Copenhagen in 1980 but I cannot remember this pedestrian street. The result of growing old?
It looks extremely busy.
At the back of the picture, a tram seems to be driving past at full speed.
Strange that you've never visited Norway.
The longer you wait, the more expensive the country becomes. On my first trip to Scandinavia Sweden was clearly the most expensive country, much more expensive than Norway.
Best regards, Paul

ChrisJ (172442) 2022-02-10 4:58

Hej Gert

Excellent quality for such an old analogue shot. A good tonal range with superb sharpness and light contrasts. Well framed and composed. Tfs!

Here's what it looked like in 2014. It was almost pitch black when I took the shot so the kissing couple was a surprise when I opened the image.

https://www.trekearth.com/viewphotos.php?l=7&p=1494767

everlasting (20074) 2022-02-10 8:18

great to see the people here and the fashion of the times. A timeless street photo

adramad (73498) 2022-02-10 10:00

Hi Gert.
How interesting to see these old photos, where you can compare the differences with today, I recognize the place by the building that we see from the front with the three little domes, in the fashion of clothing we also appreciate the difference.
It is a magnificent work in B&W and considering its age, it has excellent luminosity and sharpness..
I like it
Have a good day.
Very best regards.
Luis.

worldcitizen (16234) 2022-02-12 12:43

Hello Gert,
It's always nice to see oldies. I like to look at the clothes, hairstyles, and vehicles. The architecture is probably mostly the same. I like the old bus that's moving across the frame in the background. I had the same question as Bev about the hanging objects, but you already answered it. :-) Take care!

kasianowak (17676) 2022-02-12 12:54

I think I have the same problem with only one upload from Slovakia (and I genuinly don't really have much more to show from that country), no images from Chechia (where I've only ever been to Prague). I have very few photos from Germany (maybe I should try to post images from a 2 hours' stopover in Berlin in 2020??).
Still, you have an image showing not just the city but also the atmosphere of the 60s, the way people dress in the photo is quote a telltale sign.
As always I disagree with your statement it's not a good photo!
Have a nice Sunday
Kasia

PiotrF (56188) 2022-08-05 11:17

Hello Gert
An interesting picture from your archive, unique place. Quality, sharpness and composition are very good.
Regards Piotr