The construction of the Paris Opera

This exhibition, organized jointly by ICP and the George Eastman House, presents selections from an early landmark of documentary photography: the visual record of the construction of the Paris Opera carried out by the firm Delmaet & Durandelle between 1864 and 1869. These large-format albumen prints enable the viewer to follow the progress of architect Charles Garnier's lavish Opera, one of the most spectacular buildings of the nineteenth century. Remarkable for their informational detail, the photographs are a milestone in the use of the medium for extended architectural documentation.