Ruïnes van de Vieux Père in Saint Denis tijdens de Commune van Parijs in 1871 1871

Charles Dauvois captured this stereoscopic image of the “Ruins of the Vieux Père in Saint Denis during the Paris Commune in 1871." The Paris Commune was a brief but transformative period, a radical socialist government that ruled Paris. Dauvois' photograph captures the aftermath of the Commune's suppression, the ruins bearing witness to the fierce fighting between communards and government forces. The destroyed Vieux Père stands as a potent symbol of the Commune's shattered dreams. Photographs like this served not only as records, but also as political statements. In post-Commune France, images of destruction were used to demonize the Commune. The collapsed buildings are a reminder of the human cost of ideological conflict, as well as the destruction of a moment when a different future felt possible. This is an image of loss.