This photo of the Grotestraat in Tegelen that served as inspiration has a certain atmosphere that is characteristic of the beginning of the twentieth century. Think of dusty streets, old-fashioned clothing and a world without smartphones.

This snapshot of a forgotten time, like many other old photos, has something elusively beautiful that inspired me.

From this image I generated a text prompt via AI software in which the outlined characteristics can be found. The photo has inspired artificial intelligence (AI), as it were.

Using the advanced AI art generators I use, the text prompt of this one photo has become the basis for an entire series that you can check out below.

The AI has not only analyzed the visual characteristics, but also the underlying atmosphere, the shades and the texture that make the photo so special. By adding elements to the text prompt, I change the location, the buildings.

It was not the intention to reconstruct the Tegelen streetscape of that time – the artificial intelligence is not able to do this because of the lack of sufficient data for all those villages and cities worldwide.

The new photos show different scenes, from street scenes to group shots, but all infused with the same sense of nostalgia and timelessness.

It is a tribute to an era that is long gone, but which is being put in a new light thanks to the AI.

This AI-generated collection proves that technology is not only a means to look forward, but also to look back.

The project succeeds in extending the magic of a single, old photo into a completely new visual language, which feels authentic.