Huis van Afgevaardigden in Parijs met op de voorgrond de Pont de la Concorde c. 1880 - 1900

Étienne Neurdein captured this photograph of the Palais Bourbon and the Pont de la Concorde in Paris using an albumen print. This image invites us to consider the intertwining of political power and public life in late 19th-century France. The Palais Bourbon, housing the National Assembly, looms in the background, a symbol of governance and authority. The Pont de la Concorde, stretching across the Seine, physically connects the Assembly to the city and its people. This bridge, built with stones from the demolished Bastille, embodies a narrative of revolution transformed into a symbol of unity. Neurdein’s choice to focus on these structures invites us to think about how architecture and infrastructure shape national identity and collective memory. The photograph may seem like a neutral depiction of Paris, but it subtly reinforces the idea of an ordered, accessible republic. It prompts reflection on the relationship between those who govern and those who are governed.