Interieur van de voorkamer en de balzaal in het stadhuis van Parijs

Hippolyte Jouvin made this image of the anteroom and ballroom of the Hotel de Ville in Paris as a carte de visite, a calling card, a souvenir. These cards were wildly popular during the mid-19th century, and Jouvin was known for his architectural photographs. The image is a signifier of wealth and status. These are spaces meant for the performance of social rituals, the waltz, the political meet and greet. Yet, its meaning is complicated by the tumult of French History in the 19th century. This Hôtel de Ville was burned to the ground in 1871 during the Paris Commune. This photograph now also functions as an archive. This image captures a vanished space and speaks to the ephemerality of power and beauty, reminding us that what appears solid can be so easily turned to ash.