Following the publication of Antwerpen, verloren stad (1860–1885), Ronny Van de Velde takes a walk through a city waking up from a long sleep: the Scheldt Quays have been straightened, the old city walls demolished. Antwerp is becoming a modern city: shipping has increased hugely, a transport axis links the Central Station – that new ‘Cathedral to the Iron Road’ – with the historic Cathedral, and the line of the old defences has become a stylish boulevard, following the example of Vienna.
The new book features an impressive collection of archive photographs from the period in which Antwerp became a metropolis again. Four hundred pictures taken by wealthy amateurs and early photojournalists offer us a privileged view of the city by the Scheldt in the belle époque.

With an introduction in English, French and Dutch.