Gezicht op Boulevard Dubouchage te Nice 1896

GJ’s photograph captures a street scene on Boulevard Dubouchage in Nice, France. It offers us a glimpse into the late 19th-century urban landscape and its social dynamics. The boulevard, framed by grand buildings and tree-lined sidewalks, presents a picture of bourgeois life, yet it is also a stage upon which class distinctions are subtly displayed. Consider the figures scattered throughout the scene: men in top hats, women in long dresses, perhaps members of the city's upper class, alongside the working class individuals who keep the city functioning. The photograph invites us to reflect on the relationship between public space and social identity. Boulevard Dubouchage, while intended as a space for leisure and display, also reveals the everyday realities of work, class, and social interaction. It is an image which captures a specific moment in time, yet it resonates with broader questions about urban life, identity, and representation.