Gary Zuercher’s work of photographing all the bridges of Paris at night is a remarkable and captivating endeavor. Over the course of five years, the American photographer dedicated himself to capturing the ethereal beauty and grandeur of Paris’s iconic bridges under the cloak of night.
Using traditional analogue photography techniques, Zuercher meticulously crafted a series of stunning silver-gelatin prints that showcase the bridges in a mesmerizing glow. His images evoke a sense of timelessness, as the bridges are illuminated against the darkness, their intricate architectural details and ornate designs accentuated by the play of light and shadow.
He shot only at night, on film, in black and white and mostly in Winter. He developed the film in his darkroom in a nineteenth-century Haussmannien building in Paris and developed the prints in his darkroom in Washington, DC. When the shooting was finished he then spent another year researching and documenting the fascinating history of each of those bridges.
Zuercher’s photographs are not mere snapshots but rather carefully composed works of art, each one a testament to his patience, technical mastery, and keen eye for capturing the essence of these historic structures. From the grandeur of the Pont Alexandre III to the understated elegance of the Pont d’Austerlitz, his lens has immortalized the bridges in their nocturnal splendor, revealing their unique personalities and how they seamlessly blend into the Parisian cityscape.
Through his dedication and artistic vision, Zuercher has created a remarkable body of work that not only celebrates the architectural marvels of Paris but also invites viewers to experience the city in a new light, quite literally. His photographs are a love letter to the bridges of Paris, capturing their timeless allure and ensuring that their beauty will be preserved for generations to come.
This book presents sumptuous photographs of the great bridges of Paris in all their nocturnal splendor, glowing and poetic. You can almost hear the gentle lap of the Seine. A must for collectors of fine photography.”
— David M. Seager, Art Director
National Geographic Society, Washington, DC
Gary Zuercher’s approach of depicting Paris bridges at night is a truly unique aesthetic vision of the city. His manipulation of the camera, playing with shadow and light effects, isolates and elevates these important architectural symbols of Paris far beyond their daily, prosaic function.”
— Phillip Dennis Cate
Curator Special Exhibits, Musée Montmartre, Paris
Director Emeritus, Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Museum, Rutgers University
With stunning black and white photos in the Ansel Adams tradition and stories about Paris’ legendary bridges this is a real Paris book gem.”
— Bob Bishop, Editor/Publisher
Paris Voice
The Glow of Paris is a spectacular collection of photos that creates a new meaning to “Paris, the city of lights.” The black and white photos provide a Ansel Adams-esque view of Paris that can’t be seen any other way…”
— Ross Rojek, Editor-in-Chief
San Francisco Book Review
Through the incredible prism of his lens, Gary Zuercher has captured the beauty of Paris and its exquisite bridges at night through black and white photographs that are works of art in their own right. This book will simply dazzle and delight those who love Paris.”
— Carol Cain, Emmy-winning journalist
CBS/Detroit Free Press
Gary Zuercher reveals Paris as few have ever experienced. His luminous black and white photographs define the origin of the Paris’ moniker as the City of Light. His subject – the bridges, after dark, glowing in the lights that make the night city live… his photographs witness the luminosity of the city.”
— Grady Harp, Top 50 Amazon Hall of Fame Reviewer
Providing his readers with illuminating character studies, anecdotes, and facts coupled with magnificent black and white images, Gary Zuercher has, beyond doubt, brilliantly captured the intrinsic nature and indispensable quality of each of the thirty-five historic bridges that cross the Seine in Paris…”
— Norm Goldman, Publisher & Editor of Bookpleasures.com