Palais des Forêts (paviljoen voor bos, jacht en visserij) op de Wereldtentoonstelling van 1900 1900

Editor: This is a stereo card photograph from 1900, depicting the Palais des Forêts, the Pavilion of Forests, Hunting and Fishing, at the World's Fair in Paris. The architecture strikes me as really grand, with all its domes and ornate details mirrored in the water. It’s like a snapshot of a really optimistic time. What do you see in it? Curator: I see an interesting intersection of nature and industry. The Palais des Forêts was meant to showcase the bounty of the natural world, framed within the context of human progress and control, which this photo exemplifies. Look at how nature – the forests – are contained within the highly stylized neoclassical architecture, reflections and all. Editor: That’s a good point. It's presented in a very curated and constructed way. How did people at the time view these exhibitions? Curator: World’s Fairs were immense exercises in nation-building and self-representation. Each country, including France, would attempt to present an image of itself, often idealised, through its pavilions. The Palais des Forêts, in that sense, evokes a sense of the French relationship with nature. A complex history – part conservation, part exploitation. The imagery itself carries cultural memory of progress and possibility. It also offers continuity with our present moment of ecological reflection. Editor: It's interesting to consider what messages these types of images were intended to communicate and how those messages have shifted over time. Now the Pavilion of Forests, Hunting and Fishing is history. I wonder how many photographs still resonate with people who remember those fairs. Thanks. Curator: And I wonder what this pavilion represents as we witness the decline of the natural world, now. I see those messages being sent across generations. Thank you.