Double exposure of Eiffel Tower, c. 1930          Gelatin Silver Print

For nine consecutive years between 1925 and 1934 the Citroën car company turned the Eiffel Tower into the world’s largest advertising billboard featuring the company’s name and logo by night. The tower was illuminated by 250,000 bulbs.

This unique phenomenon was widely documented by most photographers active in Paris at the time, especially by those who were fond of night scenes. Man Ray was one of them. This image differs from all other known photographs taken by a variety of practitioners. It is a double exposure that might hint to the fact that Man Ray could be the author. The print quality is consistent with his work of the period and the dimensions are very similar to another Man Ray print, a night view of the tower dated 1930 in the Collection of the Getty Museum (http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=53236&handle=li). Another multi-exposure photograph of the tower figures in Électricité (1931).

Although my instincts tell me this is a Man Ray photograph, it still needs validation.

If anyone has ever seen this image please let me know.

Thank you!