Charles Marville photographed this snow-covered area along the River Seine while it was being used as a building depot. Piles of paving stones for new roads line the water's edge, and larger blocks lie near the ramp that leads upward to the top of the embankment. This early image reflects Marville's interest in documentary photography, which became his specialty after the city of Paris commissioned him to photograph the roads scheduled for demolition by Napoleon III's architect and city planner, Georges-Eugène, Baron Haussman.