Artwork Page for Fish Porters

Details / Information for Fish Porters

Fish Porters

late 1890s

Paul Géniaux

(French, 1873–1929)
Culture
France, 19th century
Medium
albumen print
Measurements
Paper: 17.6 x 12.8 cm (6 15/16 x 5 1/16 in.); Matted: 45.7 x 35.6 cm (18 x 14 in.)
Credit Line
John L. Severance Fund 1999.108
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

Little is known about Géniaux, who was active from the 1890s through the 1920s as a commercial photographer. Clearly a practitioner with a trained eye, he created this engaging portrait of two fish porters dressed in traditional work clothes complete with leather arm guards and metal identification badges. He positioned the men with their fish containers in front of a mounted sign listing the parking fees for vehicles bringing in and removing goods for the Paris Central Market. Géniaux's examinations of the city’s laborers were soon expanded by Eugène Atget (1856–1927), who methodically photographed the city and its inhabitants.
A sepia-toned albumen print depicts two men with light skin tones and mustaches standing before a large sign. The man on our left wears a wide-brimmed hat and long apron, holding a large woven basket. On our right, the second man balances a wooden crate on his head. Both wear protective leather sleeves on their forearms. Behind them, a sign reads "HALLES CENTRALES," flanked by a brick wall and metal gate.

Fish Porters

late 1890s

Paul Géniaux

(French, 1873–1929)
France, 19th century

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