Jules Gervais-Courtellemont (1863-1931) was a pioneering French photographer who specialized in the autochrome technique - one of the first viable methods of color photography.

The autochrome process, which he adopted after the Lumière brothers introduced it in 1907, involved covering glass plates with millions of microscopic red, green, and blue-dyed potato starch grains that acted as color filters. When light passed through these filters onto the photographic emulsion, it created stunning color transparencies that captured the vivid hues of the early 20th century.

This particular image, taken in 1923 from the church of Saint Gervais, offers a sweeping panoramic view of Paris during a fascinating period of post-World War I optimism and cultural renaissance.

The photograph is part of a larger series Gervais-Courtellemont created documenting Paris in 1923 when the city was experiencing significant economic growth and social transformation. His careful composition and masterful use of the autochrome technique allowed him to capture the subtle play of light and color across the Parisian cityscape, creating an atmospheric portrait of the French capital that was revolutionary for its time, as color photography was still quite rare and technically challenging in the 1920s.

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