Exterieur van het gebouw aan Boulevard Central 3 te Brussel 1875

Alexandre de Blochouse made this photograph of the exterior of a building on Boulevard Central in Brussels around 1875. This image, part of a larger album, speaks to the transformative urban planning underway in Brussels during that time. The “Nouveaux Boulevards,” as the caption indicates, were a key component of a modernization project led by King Leopold II. The boulevards aimed to improve traffic flow and sanitation, but also served to project an image of a modern, prosperous city. De Blochouse’s photograph presents the architecture as orderly and elegant, visually reinforcing the aspirations of the boulevards themselves. The architecture suggests the rising bourgeois class with its clean lines and classical motifs. This image invites us to consider the complex relationship between urban planning, photography, and the construction of social identity. Further research into city archives, architectural plans, and period publications would reveal the full story behind these new boulevards. The built environment reflects and shapes social life, and the historian can uncover those connections.