Comments on: Paris, 1910-1914, by Eugene Atget

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 22 Jul 2024 20:29:19 +0000

Or indecent corset shops

By: Marie

Marie — Fri, 22 Jul 2024 11:24:23 +0000

If only there still were decent corset shops around.

By: Sam Nightingale

Sam Nightingale — Sun, 17 Jul 2024 16:29:04 +0000

In many cases Atget did photograph the streets of Paris with people in them, however, at this time in the history of photography the exposures required where so long that people past through the image but left no trace we are able to see.

By: Casieopea

Casieopea — Thu, 14 Jul 2024 19:48:39 +0000

I wonder what the connection with eating nothing but milk, bread and sugar is to the photos?

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 06 May 2024 10:48:04 +0000

This is a brilliant comment, Jimmy. Both things work for me as a lack of mediation – direct experience of materials, and of the material world.

By: Jimmy A

Jimmy A — Wed, 05 May 2024 10:23:37 +0000

Fascinating photos and I agree with the previous comment about capturing the essence of the time. What is this “essence” though if we had to describe it? Two things stand out for me: (1) the lack of uniformity in the street scenes and within the individual shops. It gives a clear sense of how irrevocably the tangible, everyday world was altered by mass production and in particular moulded plastic. Everyday life would have been characterised by greater solidity (wood, metal, handmade goods) but also greater variety, randomness even; (2) the lack of a “safety net” – there is a palpable contrast with those scenes and our world which is so heavily constrained by what is safe – street furniture, barriers, signage, public cleanliness.