Return to Bridges and Photography   Edouard Baldus - Old Hotel de Ville from the Pont d'Arcole Full Size Contact: Alex Novak and Marthe Smith Email: info@vintageworks.net Phone: +1-215-822-5662 Company: Contemporary Works / Vintage Works, Ltd. Company: 258 Inverness Circle Company: Chalfont, PA   18914   USA URL: http://www.vintageworks.net Ref.#: 10341 Price: P.O.R. Medium: Salt print from wet plate negative Mount: on original mount Image Date: 1855-56 Print Date: 1855-56 Dimensions: 12-5/8 x 17-7/16 in. (321 x 443 mm) Photo Country: France Photographer Country: France Description: A very rich and detailed chocolate print in excellent condition. Reversed out of the negative is 'No.14' and the photographer's initials 'E.B.' (the latter inked over). Black stamp with photographer's name. Mysterious, rare and intriguing early Baldus image where a large crowd is looking over the right side of the Pont d'Arcole (now often called the Pont de Hotel de Ville), probably at a passing barge, which probably caused the blur of motion under the bridge. The black stamp with the photographer's name dates typically from 1854-58 (according to Malcolm Daniel), although the initials in the paper negative indicate an earlier date, and, according to Malcolm Daniel's book on the photographer, Baldus took a series of images of the original Hotel de Ville between 1852 and 1853, but this image was clearly made in 1855-56 (after he returned from Burgundy and Auvergne and the bridge was completed), because it shows the new Pont d'Arcole, which replaced the old bridge in early 1856. It was probably the opening of the new bridge that prompted Baldus to reshoot this familiar territory. According to Daniel, in 1855 or 1856, Baldus renumbered his negatives, and No.14 is included as this image (Hotel de Ville), so it was certainly taken about this time. He also exhibited the Hotel de Ville at an exposition in Brussels in 1856, which was certainly the more recent version with the new bridge. He later reshot the Hotel de Ville after it was rebuilt in the 1870s after being destroyed during the Commune. It is often difficult to determine whether or not Baldus used glass or paper negatives, because his coated paper negatives made prints with such translucency and detail. This image though shows several hallmarks of a paper negative, including grain from what appears to be paper, a very long exposure and a sky that has been painted. Plus there are none of the normal earmarks of a wet plate glass negative. However, one other copy of this image had been located in the Musee de Conde, where it is said to be from a glass plate negative. See: Garnier-Pelle, La Photographie du XIXe a Chantilly, p.14, where the photograph is dated 1855. Shipping and insurance costs will be added to the price and must be paid for by the buyer. Pennsylvania and New York buyers must pay appropriate sales tax. International clients are responsible for their VAT and other custom's oriented charges.