The Treble Tower (Bouches du Rhône)

Buildings are damaged or destroyed for any number of reasons: warfare, fire, neglect, natural disaster, or demolition. This château in a village in southern France was consumed by fire in 1782 and, after being rebuilt, was burned down again in 1793 during the French Revolution (1789–1799). The site with its ruins remains a tourist attraction today. In this image, Séraphin Médéric Mieusement focused on remains of the one of the corner towers of a 15th-century castle, which was part of the larger château. Using the branches of a barren tree in the foreground, as well as reflections in the water, he created a complex and compelling composition. Mieusement specialized in photographing historic monuments in France in the 1870s and 1880s, continuing the efforts of the Historical Monuments Commission to survey important buildings as aids in restoration.