Emile Gsell

It took millions of years for dinosaurs' ferocious claws to evolve into the soft wings of a hummingbird and even longer for simple algae to transform into towering pine trees; change has been much more rapid in Saigon.

Saigon's transition from simple dirt streets stretching between humble wooden homes and citizens clad in loose, monotone áo dài into a glitzy metropolis where locals strut through traffic in colorful, form-fitting attire took place in a geological blink of an eye. These photos by French photographer Émile Gsell taken in 1866, featured in New York's famed Met Gallery for their 150th anniversary, allow viewers to admire the impermanence of the norms humans frequently take for granted.

A view of the Saigon River from down town.

Chinese pagoda in Vietnam.

Fruit vendors.

Funeral procession.

Marriage ceremony.

Militia members taking a break.

Saigon Musicians.

Monks in Cho Lon.

Native militia members.

Prisoners and native militia member.

Vietnamese in classic áo dài.

View of imperial couriers.

Vietnamese theatre performers.

Tomb of the Bishop of Adran, also known as Lang Cha Ca in Vietnamese.

Vietnamese women.

View of Cho Lon.

Religious Ceremony,

Wealthy Vietnamese citizens.