Gezicht op Boulevard de Strasbourg in Parijs c. 1850 - 1880

Hippolyte Jouvin captured this stereo card photograph of the Boulevard de Strasbourg in Paris using the cutting-edge technology of instant photography. Consider the cultural context: the rapid urbanization of Paris under Haussmann's plan, a project celebrated for its grand boulevards yet criticized for displacing working-class communities. The photograph romanticizes this new Paris with its clean, wide streets, embodying progress and modernity. Yet it also hints at the social stratification of the era. Horse-drawn carriages denote affluence, while the blurred figures of pedestrians suggest the anonymity and marginalization of the masses. Jouvin presents a seemingly objective snapshot. Yet, through composition and framing, he subtly reinforces the narrative of Paris as a city of grandeur and progress, a narrative that often obscured the experiences of those on the margins. As you observe this image, reflect on the stories it tells and those it leaves untold.