Eiffeltoren en andere gebouwen van de Wereldtentoonstelling van 1900 langs de oever van de Seine 1900

This stereoscopic image, captured by an anonymous photographer, documents the 1900 World Exposition in Paris. The Eiffel Tower looms large, a symbol of technological progress. But note the celestial globe, too. Its presence hearkens back to antique maps and orreries, where the cosmos was charted with a mix of science and myth. Globes, since antiquity, have represented the desire to understand and map our world, as a way to grasp the infinite. The image evokes a sense of wonder that's primal. This impulse to map knowledge and progress has propelled societies forward, yet remains rooted in our collective memory. Just as ancient mariners once looked to the stars for guidance, this image captures a moment when humanity looked to technological advancements to navigate the future. This intersection of the celestial and the industrial speaks to our continuous quest for understanding.