Twee aanzichten van een tand van een slurfdier before 1869

This is a photograph of a lithograph depicting two views of a tooth from an extinct elephant. It appears as an illustration within a book entitled "La Seine aux Ages Ante-Historiques," which translates as "The Seine in Prehistoric Times." The creation of such an image speaks to the rise of scientific inquiry and the institutionalization of natural history in the 19th century. This book was likely produced in France, a country deeply involved in the development of paleontology and geology. These fields helped to frame our understanding of the deep past, of changing landscapes, and of the creatures that roamed the earth long before human existence. Understanding this image requires considering the historical context of scientific exploration, and the development of institutions like museums and universities, where the findings of such explorations were studied, categorized, and displayed. The image can be better understood with access to archives about the community of scientists who studied such images. It allows us to reflect on the role of art in shaping public understanding of scientific concepts.