Small, edition of 25: 22 x 29 7/8 in. (56 x 76 cm.)
Christopher Thomas’s pictures of Paris show the streets devoid of people, but somehow the music of the city emerges faintly from each scene. Preceded by similar images of Munich, New York and Venice, this series has a particular enchantment as each monument and boulevard echoes the vibrant energy it contained only hours before.
Thomas takes these pictures often in the early hours of dawn or by moonlight. His equipment comprises a large-format camera, a selection of lenses, a tripod, a dark velvet cloth and many boxes of Polaroid Type 55 film. This film, little of which remains today, ensures that the images are rich in detail, conveying a reverence to the buildings and spaces he chooses to picture.
“I would apply a sort of X-ray vision, to see past the constant throbbing of life and shine a light not only on the skeletal frame, but also on the heart and soul of Paris. I hope that the essence of the city, which is pushed so far into the background in the millions of snapshots taken every day, becomes visible and tangible in this book.” – Christopher Thomas, Paris: City of Light, 2014