Almost 90 years ago, around 1927, Alex Benno shot ​​the film "Beautiful Amsterdam", as an advertisement for Amsterdam’s Amstel Hotel.

In the opening shots you can see that Damrak was just as busy back then as it is now, filled with trams, cars, cyclists and pedestrians!

"Beautiful Amsterdam" is a short, silent film of almost six minutes, made for a foreign audience and aimed mainly at Americans. English intertitles informed viewers of the most characteristic and interesting spots in the city.

At several points in the film, Benno makes use of the so-called "phantom ride", a popular stylistic device from the earliest days of film in which the camera is mounted on a moving vehicle.

From the collection of EYE Film.