La Seine: I. Le bassin parisien aux âges anthéhistoriques (texte) 1869

This is the cover of 'La Seine: I. Le bassin parisien aux âges antéhistoriques (texte)' by Eugène Belgrand, printed in Paris in 1869. Belgrand, as Director of Water and Sewers for the city of Paris, was deeply involved in Haussmann's renovation of the city, which was completed around the time this book was published. The General History of Paris series sought to capture the city’s grandeur. This volume focuses on the Seine's history. Yet, how does one reconcile the Seine's timeless flow with Paris's rapid modernization under Haussmann? The project displaced countless working-class residents, altering the city's social fabric as much as its physical landscape. Belgrand’s vision of the Seine thus evokes a sense of both progress and loss. Consider how the book, made during the Second Empire, mirrors the era's aspirations and anxieties. It is an attempt to fix a narrative amid profound change, inviting us to reflect on how we narrate our own histories in the face of transformation.