Palais du Trocadéro en omgeving gezien vanaf de Eiffeltoren tijdens de Wereldtentoonstelling van 1900 in Parijs 1900

Paul Lucena made this photograph of the Palais du Trocadéro and its surroundings from the Eiffel Tower during the 1900 World Exhibition in Paris. This image offers us a glimpse into the spectacle of the World Exhibition, a phenomenon that celebrated industrial progress and colonial power at the turn of the century. From the dizzying height of the Eiffel Tower, the photograph captures the sprawling cityscape transformed into a temporary world of pavilions and displays. Consider the act of photographing from the Eiffel Tower itself. It was a new vantage point made possible by technological advancement, and offered a panoramic view that embodied the ambition of the era. The Palais du Trocadéro, prominently featured, served as a symbol of French architectural prowess, while the exhibition itself was a carefully curated display of global cultures and technological achievements, all under the gaze of the host nation. By exploring archives of photographs and ephemera from the exhibition, we can better understand the social and political context that shaped not only the event but the very act of seeing and representing the world at the time.