Le Pont-Neuf et l'Ile de la Cité, vus du Louvre, 1er et 4ème arrondissements, Paris

Île de la Cité is an island in the River Seine, once known as Lutetia, and is the oldest settlement in Paris, France. It is one of two natural islands in the river, the other being Île Saint-Louis. The island has a rich history that dates back to ancient times. It is believed to have been settled by the Parisii, a Celtic tribe, in the 3rd century BC. In 52 BC, the Romans conquered the island and established a city there, which they called Lutetia. The island was the site of several important events in French history, including the signing of the Edict of Nantes in 1598 and the French Revolution. Today, Île de la Cité is home to many famous landmarks, including the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Palais de Justice. Île de la Cité with sights such as the Pont Neuf, the Pont de l’Archevêché and Notre Dame cathedral, makes it the central crossroads of the city, which grew outwards from here. Ile de la Cité is the perfect place for a riverside picnic.

Edouard Baldus (1813-1889) was a French photographer best known for his architectural and landscape photographs. Born in Grunbach, near Strasbourg, France, he began his career as a painter before turning to photography in the 1840s. Baldus was a pioneer of large format photography, using a camera that produced 18x24cm glass negatives. He was commissioned by the French government to document the construction of the new railway lines in the 1850s, and his photographs of the Pont du Gard, the Gare du Nord in Paris and other landmarks are considered some of the finest examples of early architectural photography. Baldus also photographed landscapes and cityscapes, including views of Paris and its environs, as well as scenes from Italy and Egypt. His work was highly influential in the development of photography as an art form, and he is considered one of the most important photographers of the 19th century. Today, Baldus's photographs are held in collections around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Getty Museum in Los Angeles and the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.