The severity of the demolition depicted here between the rues de l'Échelle and Saint Augustin was not unusual for the Second Empire. The renovation and construction of new public roadways and parks oftentimes necessitated the complete destruction of various Parisian roadways and quarters. Photographer Charles Marville was well-known for capturing images of the older Parisian quarters prior to urbanization. In 1850, Marville was hired by the city of Paris to document the changes resulting from the demolition and reconstruction of the Haussmann era. He was named the official photographer of Paris in 1862.