What catches your eye first?
I’ll be honest: it’s the blown-out sky highlighting the loads of laundry zigzagging through the alley. The zigzag in the back feels like an arrow to me, pointing toward the first person I notice: the man sitting on the railing, looking almost directly at the camera, near the center of the image. He has a deep stare, with a cigarette hanging from his mouth.
From there, my eye moves to the lady next to him, then pulls forward along the right side of the alley, where I start noticing several people in the windows and the two darkly lit gentlemen in the foreground. I think these two men really set the tone for this alley and this image. They look tough, maybe even intimidating. One has his hand on something that could possibly be used as a weapon.
From there, my eyes keep exploring, and I realize just how much is going on in this image. There are layers of people, on the left side and behind the ones I've already mentioned. There's a blur of a woman at the front door on the left. She must have come outside, decided this wasn't for her, and left. Some people are looking directly at the camera, while others are partially hidden behind railings and other things in the alley. There's even a woman in the back who is almost camouflaged.
The image is titled Bandits' Roost. I think that title was purposeful in giving us some additional context. This doesn't look like a particularly welcoming alleyway. I'm not sure I'd call it dangerous just from looking at the photograph, but it does seem like everybody is on watch, so to speak.
I'm curious whether he drummed up all these people for the photograph or if he simply stopped, set up his gear, and took the shot. The image is iconic and definitely takes me into the world of late-1800s city living. It doesn't feel like a place where you would be free to walk around and do as you please. I know I'd be careful walking down an alley like this.