EUGÈNE ATGET (1857–1927) Doorknocker, 5 Rue Bonaparte, Paris c. 1900

Albumen print from gelatin dry plate negative 17,7 x 22 cm Photographer's “E. ATGET” address stamp on the reverse, numbered “4461” (no. Atget) and titled by the photographer in pencil on the reverse Enamored of the city's history, Atget, working alone, built up a vast photographic archive of Paris' old houses, shops, churches, and streets, as well as its architectural ornamentation, including doors, stairways, door knockers, and mantelpieces. While he continued to sell prints to artists, Atget now found a larger market among publishers, amateur scholars of Old Paris, libraries, and archives. The print of the same image is also in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.