Afdeling fotografie op de Wereldtentoonstelling van 1889, Parijs 1889

Georges Balagny produced this photogravure of the photography section at the 1889 Paris Exposition Universelle. This world fair took place in France during a time of rapid industrial advancement and was meant to celebrate France's achievements since the Revolution, as well as its colonial empire. We see a long hall with various framed photographs displayed on the walls. The presence of photography in a world's fair demonstrates its growing importance as a technology, an art form, and as a tool for documenting and shaping public perception. Photogravure, itself a relatively new technology, allowed for the mass production of photographic images in printed materials. It speaks to the democratizing potential of art. But it also raises questions about authorship, originality, and the role of institutions in shaping artistic value. Further research into exhibition catalogs, period reviews, and critical essays would shed light on the social and institutional forces that shaped photography’s rise to prominence during this period.