Kai Nielsen

Kai Nielsen carried a camera everywhere, shooting ordinary corners of Copenhagen in the 1920s—street corners, backyard laundry lines, the quiet stretch of canal near his apartment. He liked to catch the light when it slanted low, turning brick walls into glowing screens and puddles into tiny mirrors. Turn the corner of any Danish neighborhood and you’ll spot his trick: a row of bicycles leaning against a fence, shadows stretching long before sunset. Grab a map and walk Vesterbrogade at 6 p.m.; the glow on those brick walls is Nielsen’s favorite trick.