River of Shadows verses the Eiffel Tower - Essay Example

River of Shadows verses the Eiffel tower. Introduction “Rivers of Shadows” shows a biographical portrait of the photographer Eadweard Muybridge. It is about the history of how the western countries got to develop and the different technological change in the nineteenth century. There are pictures from the book that shows the development of the film industry that led to the current Hollywood. “Eiffel tower” is a book about the thrilling story behind the construction of the famous Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.

There is the story of the extraordinary fair that introduced the tower to the world. There is much difference in the arts on the cover of the two books. “River of Shadows” shows a man on a horse’s back. The color on the cover is not well defined signifying the time of the shot. The story about Hollywood and the Silicon Valley is a story that came to be before the invention of good cameras. “Eiffel tower” has a black, gray and white cover signifying the construction of the tower to be in the nineteenth century.

Body The interesting part about the two books is that they were both talking about stories and inventions at the end of the 19th century. The two stories have a common ground of talking about the Wild West. There was a big fair in Paris going on during the construction of the Eiffel Tower. There was an “Exposition Universelle”, a world fair and a French tradition (Jonnes, 3). The year 1889 saw the government choose the Eiffel tower as a site for the exposition thus making it famous. It was one of the longest, most admired and fairly critiqued tower in Paris.

Solnit in her book shows how photography was a technology that changed human understanding capturing moments (Solnit, 23). The photographs by Muybridge led to his innovation and start of a significant industry; Hollywood. There are also photos that show people in America using telegraphs as an innovating way of communication (Solnit, 40). There are also motion pictures about the railroad network and its importance in helping California discover Hollywood. The growth of France was symbolic through the successful construction of the Eiffel Tower.

It was one of the biggest structures during the time. Gustave Eiffel was successful in showing the different works of technology in coming up with the Eiffel Tower (Jonnes, 3). The design of the tower was to make it the tallest building in the world. Eiffel had engineering skills that he put to good use to make a significant technological advancement in the world. The Eiffel tower has ever since its inception in 1889 been a famous tourist attraction in Paris. The two books show a significant difference in the picture pose and the size as one of the images is in motion; “River of Shadows”.

“Eiffel tower” is a still picture of the Eiffel tower covering the whole cover of the book. Conclusion The two stories are about outstanding works of art that made a significant difference in today’s world. Hollywood and the inventor of the modern film world Muybridge are about artwork and technological development. The Eiffel tower is an art that came to be due to technological advancement and the innovations of the man, Eiffel. Art and technology, therefore, make a difference in the world when in combination.

Works Cited Jonnes, Jill. Eiffels Tower: The Thrilling Story Behind Pariss Beloved Monument and the Extraordinary Worlds Fair That Introduced It. London, UK: Penguin Books. 2010. Solnit, Rebecca. River of Shadows: Eadweard Muybridge and the Technological Wild West. London, UK: Penguin Books. 2004.