Exterieur van het Egyptische paviljoen op de wereldtentoonstelling te Antwerpen 1894

This photograph by Th. Lantin captures the Egyptian pavilion at the World's Fair in Antwerp. It's a sharp reminder of the kind of cultural appropriation that was common at these events. Look closely, and you'll notice the materials used aren't traditional Egyptian construction. It's more likely plaster and wood, quickly assembled to evoke the exotic. The architecture is a pastiche, leaning heavily on surface decoration rather than structural integrity. The photograph itself, a relatively new medium at the time, flattens the three-dimensional reality, further emphasizing the constructed nature of the display. This wasn't about authentic representation, but about creating a spectacle for mass consumption. World's Fairs were engines of capitalism, showcasing not just goods but also cultural fantasies. This image serves as a potent reminder that what we often perceive as 'high culture' is deeply intertwined with issues of labor, politics, and the marketplace.