Paris. Le Boulevard Montmartre c. 1900 - 1904

Here's a photographic postcard called "Paris. Le Boulevard Montmartre" by Charles Reutlinger. It's a small thing, less than 10cm high, and was probably made with a camera and some sort of early colourisation technique. Imagine Reutlinger setting up his camera on a busy day, trying to capture this slice of Parisian life. What was he thinking about as he framed the shot? Was he trying to capture the hustle and bustle of the street, the elegance of the architecture, or something else entirely? I imagine it was quite a feat getting everything aligned, composed, and exposed correctly, especially with all those people milling about. The colours have this soft, dreamy quality. It's like looking at a memory, or a faded dream of Paris. I wonder how Reutlinger chose this angle. It kind of reminds me of the work of other photographers and painters who were trying to capture the essence of modern life, like Gustave Caillebotte with his street scenes. It makes you think about how artists are always in dialogue with one another across time. Each piece is a conversation, an ongoing exploration of what it means to be human.