Village de Murols 1854

Edouard Baldus made this photograph, Village de Murols, using the collodion process, which was state-of-the-art for its time. It involved coating a glass plate with chemicals, exposing it in the camera while still wet, and then developing it immediately. Looking at the image, it's hard to miss the thatched roofs of the village homes. That material is central, not just to the buildings, but to the picture's meaning. Thatching is a labor-intensive craft, requiring specialized knowledge to select, cut, and layer the reeds or straw. This vernacular architecture speaks volumes about the community's relationship to its environment. Consider the amount of work involved in building and maintaining these homes, and how different that is from the industrial production of the city. Baldus, known for documenting the transformations of urban France, here turns his attention to rural life, offering a glimpse into a world shaped by local materials, skilled labor, and traditional ways of life. It highlights the contrast between the rise of industrial capitalism and the enduring presence of craft and community.