Gezicht op het trappenhuis van de Frans I vleugel van het Kasteel van Blois before 1875

Médéric Mieusement captured this photograph of the staircase in the François I wing of the Château de Blois sometime between 1860 and 1905. The black and white image depicts a grand, spiraling staircase, a symbol of architectural ambition and power. Mieusement’s photograph exists within a context of 19th-century European fascination with historical sites and the rise of heritage tourism. During this period, photography played a crucial role in documenting and disseminating images of historical landmarks, shaping public perceptions of national identity and cultural heritage. The Château de Blois, with its royal history and diverse architectural styles, embodies the complex layers of French identity. Consider how the photograph, with its emphasis on the staircase, evokes movement and transition. This links to ideas of social mobility and the changing dynamics of power within French society. It asks us to consider how architecture and photography, both products of human ingenuity, intersect with our understanding of history, memory, and identity.