Proclaiming “All the world passes by” …

Proclaiming “All the world passes by” (a phrase that also implies that “no one escapes from view”), this poster shows the French film production company Pathé positioning itself as a recorder, distributor, and ultimately controller of images of the world. A parade of people, portrayed through caricature and/or stereotypical ethnic dress, snakes past a French camera operator who films them. Brazilian Cândido de Faria’s extraordinary image triumphantly announces Pathé’s global reach, a reminder of the significant and lasting relationship between capitalism, presentations of race, and early cinema.