Genève en de Mont-Blanc, Zwitserland c. 1890 - 1920

Jean-Henri Jullien captured this photograph of Geneva and Mont Blanc in Switzerland. It's a window into a 19th-century world of burgeoning urbanism set against the backdrop of seemingly timeless natural wonders. Consider Geneva at this time. It's a city on the rise, a hub of international politics and finance, yet deeply rooted in its Calvinist traditions. The figures crossing the bridge, dwarfed by the city and the mountains, evoke the everyday lives of people navigating a rapidly changing world. The bridge itself, a symbol of connection and progress, also speaks to the divisions of class and access inherent in urban development. Jullien's lens doesn't just present a landscape, it offers a glimpse into the complex interplay between nature, society, and individual experience. It invites us to reflect on our place within these grand narratives, and how we, like those figures on the bridge, are both shaped by and contribute to the world around us.