Straatgezicht te Hyères 1896

"Straatgezicht te Hyères" is a photograph, taken by Étienne Neurdein. Neurdein, along with his brother, were well known for producing images of North Africa and France. The photograph illustrates a street lined with palm trees in Hyères, France, during a period of significant colonial expansion. The presence of palm trees, which are not native to France, subtly alludes to France's colonial reach and the exoticism associated with its territories. This setting invites us to consider the relationships between colonizer and colonized and how such dynamics subtly permeate the everyday. The photograph raises questions about identity and representation during the colonial era. Who is included, and who is excluded from this vision of French society? Neurdein’s work captures not just a place, but a moment in time.