Magasin, Avenue des Gobelins 1925

Eugène Atget made this photograph, "Magasin, Avenue des Gobelins," using a large format camera, a relatively slow and labor-intensive process. Looking closely, you can see how the material qualities of photography influence the image. The long exposure time required by Atget's equipment meant that moving objects, like the people reflected in the shop window, appear ghostly or transparent. Meanwhile, the mannequins and umbrellas in the window display are rendered with sharp detail. Atget was interested in documenting the changing face of Paris, and this photograph captures a moment in the history of retail and consumer culture. The carefully arranged window display, complete with price tags, speaks to the rise of mass production and the increasing availability of consumer goods. By focusing on the materials and processes of photography, as well as the social context in which the image was made, we can gain a deeper understanding of Atget's work, and how it reflects the transformations of early 20th century Paris.