Gezicht op de Rue de Rivoli te Parijs, met op de achtergrond de Tour Saint-Jacques c. 1850 - 1875

This stereoscopic view of the Rue de Rivoli in Paris, featuring the Tour Saint-Jacques, was captured by the London Stereoscopic Company. The Tour Saint-Jacques, a striking gothic vestige, stands as a potent symbol of both religious devotion and civic pride. Originally part of a 16th-century church, it now rises amidst the bustling city, a solitary beacon of medieval Paris. Observe how this tower mirrors the ancient obelisks of Egypt, repurposed by the Romans and later echoed in Renaissance architecture. These vertical structures symbolize a reaching towards the divine, a connection between the earthly and the celestial. The impulse to erect such monuments is deeply rooted in the human psyche. The tower elicits a sense of aspiration and perhaps even a yearning for transcendence. The cyclical resurgence of the tower, a constant return of forms across epochs, illustrates how humanity's collective memory continues to shape our physical and spiritual landscapes.