Tuinen bij het Monte Carlo Casino c. 1870 - 1900

Étienne Neurdein created this albumen print titled 'Gardens at the Monte Carlo Casino'. Neurdein, a 19th-century photographer, captured scenes that often idealized locations through his lens. Looking at this image, consider the late 1800s, a time marked by colonialism and the rise of leisure culture for the European elite. The Monte Carlo Casino was not merely a place for games of chance; it was a symbol of status and exclusivity, a playground for the rich. The carefully arranged gardens around it served as a backdrop, reinforcing an image of luxury. This photograph, with its sepia tones and composed symmetry, presents a specific narrative. It invites us to think about who was welcome in such spaces and who was excluded. The very act of photographing such places, and the circulation of these images, played a role in constructing and maintaining these social hierarchies. Consider how Neurdein's photograph is part of a larger history of representation, where power and privilege are not just enjoyed, but also carefully curated and visually communicated.