The origins of Amsterdam lay in the 12th century when fishermen living along the banks of the River Amstel built a bridge across the waterway near the IJ. To protect themselves from floods, the early inhabitants had to build dikes on both sides of the river, and about 1270 they built a dam between these dikes. In the 17th and 18th century, the population of Amsterdam became the city of immigrants. Most immigrants were either Lutheran Protestant Germans, French Huguenots, or Spanish Jews.

At the end of the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution reached Amsterdam, which led to a huge influx of worker migrants from the Dutch countryside. The Amsterdam-Rijn Kanaal was built to establish a direct connection with the North Sea, via the Rhine and the Noordzee kanaal.

These stunning photographs show what Amsterdam looked like at the end of the 19th century — capturing architecture, streets, Canals and everyday life in vibrant colors. Vote your favorites and don’t forget to share.