Thirty-Six Views of the Eiffel Tower: From the Quai de Javel (Switchman's Shanty)
1902
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1902
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
A small wooden hut sits beside train tracks, with the Eiffel Tower rising in the distance. A switchman stands near a red-and-white flag, and green vegetables grow on the riverbank. The sky is soft with pale clouds. The man lived and worked in this tiny shack, guiding trains by hand and growing food in his free time. He used the flag to signal which track was open to train conductors. Telegraph poles line the far side of the rails, part of the system he operated when on duty. This quiet scene shows industrial life and daily routine side by side. You can see more like this from the subject: france, early 20th century.
