Automobiel met uitlaatpijpen door het dak in Frankrijk 1897

This photograph of an automobile with exhaust pipes through the roof was taken in France by Delizy. The exact date of the work is unknown, but the visual cues point to the late 19th century, a time when the very idea of the 'horseless carriage' was new. This image reflects the cultural fascination with modernity, progress, and the machine age. The exhaust pipe through the roof seems clunky to our eyes, but we have to remember that this was cutting edge technology at the time. Cars like these were expensive status symbols, signs of wealth and technological optimism. They signified a rapidly changing society, one that would challenge existing social norms and eventually redefine our relationship to the world. Historians interested in understanding better the early days of automobile culture could dig into company records and personal archives. By doing so, they would be able to better understand the social and institutional context around the design of this bizarre machine.