Fotomontage van vier gezichten te Québec in de winter before 1894

Jules-Ernest Livernois made this photomontage of winter scenes in Quebec, likely in the late 19th or early 20th century. The printing process itself is critical to understanding the image's social context. Photomontage, assembling multiple photographic images into a composite whole, was becoming increasingly accessible thanks to industrial advances in printing and photography. This particular montage, with its careful arrangement of scenes and decorative borders, reflects both artistic intent and the burgeoning market for commercially produced imagery. Consider the scenes depicted: leisure activities like sledding and carriage rides, alongside the more industrial sight of a steamship. These images speak to a society undergoing rapid change, with traditional pastimes coexisting with modern technologies. The very act of assembling these scenes into a montage suggests a desire to capture and perhaps even commodify the experience of winter in Quebec. Ultimately, this photomontage reveals the intersection of art, industry, and everyday life in a rapidly modernizing world, demonstrating how new technologies changed the way we see and consume images.