Gezicht op de beurs en het stadhuis op de Grand Place te Roubaix before 1882

This is an early photograph of the Exchange and Town Hall on the Grand Place in Roubaix, France, taken by Lemercier. As a photographic print, it embodies a fascinating mix of mechanical reproduction and skilled labor. Think about the process involved: the careful setting of the camera, the precise timing of the exposure, and the subsequent development of the image in the darkroom. Each stage requires technical expertise, a degree of handcraft that is often overlooked in discussions of photography. The tonal range, from deep blacks to soft grays, is a direct result of the chemical processes at play. Photography, in its infancy, democratized image-making. It offered new ways of seeing and representing the world and its rise was intertwined with industrialization. This view of Roubaix, a thriving industrial center, captured through the lens of a camera, is emblematic of its time. By considering the photograph’s materiality and means of production, we gain a richer understanding of its historical and cultural significance, and the role of photography in shaping our perception of the world.