Façade van een woonhuis in Parijs, ontworpen door Henri Deverin before 1880

This is a photograph by Lampué et Cie of a house facade in Paris, designed by Henri Deverin. Consider the time this photograph was taken: urban spaces were rapidly transforming, embodying both progress and displacement. Deverin’s design reflects a particular yearning, evoking a sense of historical continuity. Who were these homes for? The rising bourgeoisie, eager to display their status through architecture that echoed aristocratic grandeur. This facade, captured by Lampué et Cie, becomes more than just a building; it's a stage for societal roles and aspirations. How does this staged facade speak to the complex identities of those who inhabited and beheld it? What narratives are subtly reinforced, and whose stories are conspicuously absent? Through this lens, the photograph prompts us to reflect on the stories architecture tells, and whose voices are amplified or silenced in the process.