Réunion des Tuileries au Louvre, album 1 1854 - 1857

Editor: So this is "Réunion des Tuileries au Louvre, album 1" by Edouard Baldus, created between 1854 and 1857, an albumen print. It’s very…regal looking, in its design, like something you'd find in a royal library. How would you interpret its significance, thinking about the period? Curator: Indeed. Baldus's album covers offer a fascinating glimpse into the visual construction of power during the Second Empire. Beyond just decoration, it’s important to remember that photography itself, at this time, was heavily shaped by governmental needs and ambitions. Think about the context: Napoleon III was invested in solidifying his image as a modernizer and linking his regime to past glories. The reunification project between the Tuileries Palace and the Louvre was not simply an architectural endeavour, but a symbolic one. Editor: So the album itself almost functions as propaganda? Curator: Precisely. The very act of commissioning photographs and presenting them in a lavish album suggests a deliberate strategy of image-making. It’s a way of showcasing progress, power, and control, not just of urban space, but of historical narrative. This wasn’t just art for art's sake. Editor: That's fascinating. It's like they were building a brand for the empire. I hadn’t thought about the photographs as being shaped by a political project, it makes perfect sense, actually. Curator: Exactly. And by thinking of it that way, the whole picture transforms. We're not just looking at an old book, but rather at a powerful symbol of imperial ambition carefully crafted and circulated. Editor: Thanks, I'll remember to think about art in connection with broader social forces.