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Siege and Commune of Paris Collection (ca. 1870-1871)

Find resources in and related to the Siege and Commune of Paris Collection at the Charles Deering McCormick Library of Special Collections

Przyblyski, Jeannene M. Revolution at a Standstill: Photography and the Paris Commune of 1871

Przyblyski expands the idea that the Paris Commune marks a watershed moment in the history of photography, in which photography developed into a more nuanced tool of social commentary and documentary. Photographs taken from the perches of Paris barricades along with carte-de-visite portraits made in prision camps at Versailles figure prominently in her analysis, in which these images are taken as powerful documents, rather than simply as novelties. Przyblyski argues that Communards embraced photography, adding another layer to the iconography of the barricades, claiming it for their own. She makes excellent use of the Siege and Commune Collection in the Charles Deering McCormick Library of Special Collections.