Photographs From the Paris Riots of May 1968

Beginning in May 1968, a period of civil unrest occurred throughout France, lasting some seven weeks and punctuated by demonstrations, general strikes, as well as the occupation of universities and factories. At the height of events, which have since become known as May 68, the economy of France came to a halt. The protests reached such a point that political leaders feared civil war or revolution; the national government briefly ceased to function after President Charles de Gaulle secretly fled France to Germany at one point. The protests are sometimes linked to similar movements that occurred around the same time worldwide and inspired a generation of protest art in the form of songs, imaginative graffiti, posters, and slogans.

The unrest began with a series of student occupation protests against capitalism, consumerism, American imperialism and traditional institutions. Heavy police repression of the protesters led France’s trade union confederations to call for sympathy strikes, which spread far more quickly than expected to involve 11 million workers, more than 22% of the total population of France at the time. The movement was characterized by spontaneous and decentralized wildcat disposition; this created a contrast and at times even conflict internally amongst the trade unions and the parties of the left. It was the largest general strike ever attempted in France, and the first nationwide wildcat general strike.

The student occupations and general strikes initiated across France were met with forceful confrontation by university administrators and police. The de Gaulle administration's attempts to quell those strikes by police action only inflamed the situation further, leading to street battles with the police in the Latin Quarter, Paris.

However, by late May, the flow of events changed. The Grenelle accords, concluded on May 27 between the government, trade unions and employers, won significant wage gains for workers. A counter-demonstration organized by the Gaullist party on May 29 in central Paris gave De Gaulle the confidence to dissolve the National Assembly and call for parliamentary elections for June 23, 1968. Violence evaporated almost as quickly as it arose. Workers went back to their jobs, and when the elections were held in June, the Gaullists emerged stronger than before.

The events of May 1968 continue to influence French society. The period is considered a cultural, social and moral turning point in the history of the country. Alain Geismar—one of the leaders of the time—later stated that the movement had succeeded “as a social revolution, not as a political one.”

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Photograph of a Woman Seen From the Back, ca. 1862

Woman Seen From the Back is an 1860s photograph by 19th-century French photographer, Vicomte Onesipe Aguado de las Marismas (1830–1893). It is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and was purchased by the Museum in 2005 as part of the Gilman Photographs Collection.

Onesipe Aguado was the youngest of three brothers born to the wealthy banker Alexandre Aguado. His oldest brother Olympe Aquado were amateur enthusiasts who split their time between socialite activities, a close family life, and photography. Upon their father’s death in 1842, Onesipe and Olympe inherited a considerable fortune that included vacation homes.

Onesipe and Olympe were students of Gustave Le Gray, and were active early members of the Societe Francaise de Photographie. They were early makers of photographic enlargements and known for their experimentations with photographic processes—producing daguerreotypes, cartes-des-visites, techniques with negative paper for landscapes and collodion on glass for portraits. They were also known for the diversity of their subjects—deserted interiors, close studies of trees as well as sweeping pastorals, portraits, reproductions of works of arts and snapshots of sailboats.

At once a portrait, a fashion plate, and a jest, this fascinating image expresses Aguado’s whimsical mood, and is probably an extension of his work on foreshortening. It is strangely devoid of depth, as if the sitter were a two-dimensional cutout, a mere silhouette. The figure brings to mind the compositions of such painters as Caspar David Friedrich and René Magritte, both of whom made haunting use of figures seen from the back.

The portrait, Woman Seen From the Back, a salted paper print from glass negative, suggests the wit and playfulness of its photographer. The image is devoid of depth, possibly an extension of the artists’ work on foreshortening, making the sitter appear two dimensional and merely a silhouette.

Olympe Aguado, self portrait with his brother Onésipe (sitting, left), 1853.

30 Stunning Color Photographs of Paris in 1923

Jules Gervais-Courtellemont (1863–1931) was a French photographer who was famous for taking color autochromes during World War I. He was born near Fontainebleau in Avon, Seine-et-Marne, south of Paris. Courtellemont emigrated with his parents in 1874 to Algeria, and remained there for 20 years.

Paris in 1923, taken by Jules Gervais-Courtellemont.

He became a globetrotter, always in search of something special and exotic. His photography drew him as far as the eastern Mediterranean, North Africa and on to Asia. He collected his works, the moment he had captured with his camera. A head full of dreams and two feet on the ground, is how a contemporary described the artist of light painting.

Courtellemont returned to his home province to record the war. His work reflects the photographic traditions of the autochrome. Landscapes are carefully composed, with due attention to lighting and placement within the picture frame. He used symbols such as the lonely cross and the charred tree for dramatic effect. Judging from the popularity of his lectures in Paris during the war, and the series of publications featuring the battles of Marne and Verdun, his autochromes had the ability to attract a great deal of public interest.

After the war, Courtellemont worked for an American publication. He eventually became a photographer for National Geographic. He was a lifelong friend of the novelist, Orientalist and photographer Pierre Loti. While over 5,500 Gervais-Courtellemont autochromes survive in various institutional collections, including the Musée Albert-Kahn in Boulogne-Billancourt and the Cinémathèque Robert-Lynen in central Paris, his work in private hands is quite rare and sought after.

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25 Vivid Color Photographs of Paris in the 1950s

Post-war Paris brought a blossoming of culture and thought. The Nouvelle Vague transformed French cinema, young couturiers reinvigorated French fashion, existentialism flourished in literature and philosophy, and the city swung and swayed to a vibrant jazz and rock ’n’ roll scene.

In the middle of it all, was Paul Almasy. The well-traveled photojournalist, born in Hungary, had made Paris his hometown and spent his days and nights wandering its alleys, avenues, and after-hours bars. Through his photographs, we visit the embankment of the Seine and the old market halls, its music joints and glamorous cafes, but also the hidden backyards and artist’s studios.

Joining the ranks of Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Doisneau, Almasy is one of the great chroniclers of 1950s and 1960s Paris. This collection of his Paris photographs is a vivid and evocative portrait of the city in all its mid-century vibrancy and change.

Paul Almasy was born on May 29, 1906, in Budapest, Hungary. After studying political science in Austria and Germany, he became a press correspondent and photojournalist. In 1935, he founded the PASI Press Service / Service de Presse in Territet at Lake Geneva. Based in Monaco, he reported on World War II as a Swiss press correspondent from France, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

Following the liberation of Paris, Almasy settled there and became a French citizen in 1956. His travels as a reporter took him to every continent over the course of his career, and he worked for UNESCO, UNICEF, WHO, IAO, and FAO. From 1972 to 1989, Almasy taught at various French universities, including the Sorbonne and the Centre de formation et de perfectionnement des journalistes in Paris. In 1993, he was awarded the Ordre national du Mérite order of merit. Paul Almasy died on September 22, 2003, in Jouars-Pontchartrain, in the French department of Yvelines.

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Some Wonderful Photos of 1938 Peugeot 402 Darl’mat ‘Special Sport’

The most desirable Peugeot is this 402 Darl’mat Roadster also known as the ‘Spécial Sport.’ It was envisioned by Emile Darl’mat who had close contact with the Peugeot factory. The project was intended to boost Peugeot’s image by offering a lightweight body, unique areodynamic styling and sporting engine. At the time, the Darl’mat’s roadster was unlike anything else on the road and was occasionally raced in period.

The car’s fabulous shape was drawn by Georges Paulin and fabricated from sheet aluminum by Marcel Pourtout. These two had collaborated on a number of aerodynamic cars including the a Peugeot 301 that debuted at the World’s Fair in Chicago and the Eclipse retracting roof system.

When the factory agreed to let Darl’mat create his own sports car, he chose Paulin and Pourtout to work on the design. Darl’mat also worked directly with Peugeot’s Director of Mechanical Studies, Alfred Geauque to create chassis and engine. This included a competition-tuned four-cylinder engine and Cotal gearboxes that were modified for the design.

Initially in 1936, Darl’mat’s car was built on the Pegeuot 302 sedan chassis with a two liter engine. By 1938 Peugeot had introduced a 402 Legere chassis which became the foundation for the later cars. These had a shortened and widened chassis but retained the same 2-liter engine.

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55 Rare and Amazing Vintage Photographs of Paris During the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871)

The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire (later the Third French Republic) and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia.

Lasting from July 19, 1870 to January 28, 1871, the conflict was caused primarily by France’s determination to restore its dominant position in continental Europe, which it had lost following Prussia’s crushing victory over Austria in 1866. According to some historians, Prussian chancellor Otto von Bismarck deliberately provoked the French into declaring war on Prussia in order to draw four independent southern German states—Baden, Württemberg, Bavaria and Hesse-Darmstadt—to join the North German Confederation; other historians contend that Bismarck exploited the circumstances as they unfolded. None, however, dispute that Bismarck likely recognized the potential for new German alliances, given the situation as a whole.

France mobilized its army on July 15, 1870, leading the North German Confederation to respond with its own mobilization later that day. On July 16, 1870, the French parliament voted to declare war on Prussia; France invaded German territory on August 2. The German coalition mobilized its troops much more effectively than the French and invaded northeastern France on August 4. German forces were superior in numbers, training, and leadership and made more effective use of modern technology, particularly railways and artillery.

A series of swift Prussian and German victories in eastern France, culminating in the siege of Metz and the Battle of Sedan, saw French Emperor Napoleon III captured and the army of the Second Empire decisively defeated; the Government of National Defence declared the Third French Republic in Paris on 4 September and continued the war for another five months. German forces fought and defeated new French armies in northern France, besieging the capital of Paris for over four months, before it fell on January 28, 1871, effectively ending the war.

In the waning days of the war, with German victory all but assured, the German states proclaimed their union as the German Empire under the Prussian king Wilhelm I and Chancellor Bismarck; with the sole exception of Austria, the vast majority of Germans were united under a nation-state for the first time in history. Following an armistice with France, the Treaty of Frankfurt was signed on May 10, 1871, giving Germany billions of francs in war indemnity, as well as most of Alsace and parts of Lorraine, which became the Imperial Territory of Alsace-Lorraine (Reichsland Elsaß-Lothringen).

The war had a lasting impact on Europe. It significantly altered the balance of power by hastening the process of German unification, creating a powerful new state on the continent. Bismarck maintained great authority in international affairs for two decades, developing a reputation for adept and pragmatic diplomacy that raised Germany’s global stature and influence. In France, it brought a final end to imperial rule and began the first lasting republican government. Resentment over France’s defeat triggered a revolutionary uprising called the Paris Commune, which managed to seize and hold power for two months before its bloody suppression; the event would influence the politics and policies of the Third Republic.

French determination to regain Alsace-Lorraine and fear of another Franco-German war, along with British apprehension about the shifting balance of power towards Germany, were among the factors that caused World War I.

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Portrait Photos of Françoise Hardy at Her New Apartment in Paris, 1971

French singer and songwriter Françoise Hardy has been an important figure in French pop music since her debut. She rose to prominence in the early 1960s as a leading figure of the yé-yé wave, a genre of pop music and associated youth culture phenomenon that adapted to French the pop and rock styles that came from the United States and the United Kingdom.

Hardy also established herself as a pop and fashion icon in the mid-1960s with the aid of photographer Jean-Marie Périer, becoming a muse for top designers such as André Courrèges, Yves Saint Laurent and Paco Rabanne. In the English-speaking world, her trendy public image and personal style led her to become an icon for the Swinging London scene, and attracted the admiration of several famous artists.

Long after the height of her career in the 1960s, Hardy remains one of the best-selling singers in French history, and continues to be regarded as an iconic and influential figure in both music and fashion. Her work has appeared on several critics’ lists.

These beautiful photos are portraits of Françoise Hardy taken by Italian photographer Giancarlo Botti at her new apartment rue Saint-Louis in Paris, France in 1971.

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A Collection of 40 Rare Color Photographs of France in World War I

Serving in the French Army, photographer Fernand Cuville (1887–1927) continued the autochromists’ tradition of recording the world around them in great detail. These color photographs were taken by Cuville in 1917. His photos capture French soldiers in everyday situations, including cleaning their clothes and eating lunch. They also show war’s destruction in scenes of crumbling buildings and ruined landscapes.

By the early 20th century France’s empire extended from the Caribbean to Africa, south-east Asia and the Pacific. This expansion had been accompanied by an intense interest in the educational value of social geography and the systematic documentation that went with it. Photography, and the autochrome in particular, was an ideal medium for capturing such vast quantities of information with great accuracy. The French banker Albert Kahn’s photographic project, Les Archives de la Planete, which was begun in 1909 and designed to be a collection of thousands of autochromes arranged in geographical categories, was a magnificent expression of this interest. Castelnau and Cuville had contributed to this project.

With an eye for educational detail, Cuville recorded life in the French army, and the destruction of town and village life caused by German shelling. He brought an artistic language to his work which would distance it from the horrific realities of war.

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This Is Marie Antoinette’s Shoe She Wore Before Her Execution on October 16, 1793

This is the shoe Marie Antoinette lost on the stairs as she was going up toward the guillotine on the morning of her execution on October 16, 1793. She lost her shoe, then she lost her head!

The shoe is now in the collection of the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Caen, France.

Marie Antoinette (November 2, 1755 – October 16, 1793) was the last queen of France before the French Revolution. She was born an archduchess of Austria and was the penultimate child and youngest daughter of Empress Maria Theresa and Emperor Francis I. She became dauphine of France in May 1770 at age 14 upon her marriage to Louis-Auguste, heir apparent to the French throne. On May 10, 1774, her husband ascended the throne as Louis XVI and she became queen.

Marie Antoinette’s position at court improved when, after eight years of marriage, she started having children. She became increasingly unpopular among the people, however, with the French libelles accusing her of being profligate, promiscuous, harboring sympathies for France’s perceived enemies—particularly her native Austria—and her children of being illegitimate. The false accusations of the Affair of the Diamond Necklace damaged her reputation further. During the Revolution, she became known as Madame Déficit because the country’s financial crisis was blamed on her lavish spending and her opposition to the social and financial reforms of Turgot and Necker.

Portrait of Marie Antoinette in court dress by Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, 1778.

Several events were linked to Marie Antoinette during the Revolution after the government had placed the royal family under house arrest in the Tuileries Palace in October 1789. The June 1791 attempted flight to Varennes and her role in the War of the First Coalition had disastrous effects on French popular opinion. On August 10, 1792, the attack on the Tuileries forced the royal family to take refuge at the Assembly, and they were imprisoned in the Temple Prison on August 13. On September 21, 1792, the monarchy was abolished. Louis XVI was executed by guillotine on January 21, 1793. Marie Antoinette’s trial began on October 14, 1793, and two days later she was convicted by the Revolutionary Tribunal of high treason and executed, also by guillotine, on the Place de la Révolution.

Preparing for her execution, she had to change clothes in front of her guards. She wanted to wear a black dress but was forced to wear a plain white dress, white being the color worn by widowed queens of France. Her hair was shorn, her hands bound painfully behind her back and she was put on a rope leash. Unlike her husband, who had been taken to his execution in a carriage, she had to sit in an open cart for the hour it took to convey her from the Conciergerie via the rue Saint-Honoré thoroughfare to reach the guillotine erected in the Place de la Révolution (the present-day Place de la Concorde). She maintained her composure, despite the insults of the jeering crowd. A constitutional priest was assigned to her to hear her final confession. He sat by her in the cart, but she ignored him all the way to the scaffold as he had pledged his allegiance to the republic.

Marie Antoinette’s execution on October 16, 1793: Sanson, the executioner, showing Marie Antoinette’s head to the people (anonymous, 1793).

Marie Antoinette was guillotined at 12:15 p.m. on October 16, 1793. Her last words are recorded as, “Pardonnez-moi, monsieur. Je ne l’ai pas fait exprès” or “Pardon me, sir, I did not do it on purpose,” after accidentally stepping on her executioner’s shoe. Her head was one of which Marie Tussaud was employed to make death masks. Her body was thrown into an unmarked grave in the Madeleine cemetery located close by in rue d’Anjou. Because its capacity was exhausted the cemetery was closed the following year, on March 25, 1794.

(via The Museum of Ridiculously Interesting Things)

35 Amazing Vintage Photographs Show How Parisian Women’s Fashion Looked Like Back in the 1910s

Paris is one of the fashion capitals of the world, and since forever a home of the most inspiring and exciting fashion style.

The Longchamp racecourse is situated in the Bois de Boulogne on the banks of the Seine River, in Paris, France. The first Longchamp race meeting was held in 1857. With the first real fashion shows organized in the 1910s, the new century hailed Paris as the fashion capital of the world. And couturiers routinely sent models wearing their latest designs to the racecourse.

As women were enjoying more social freedom, corsets – metaphorically and literally restricting – were changing in function from shaping the body to supporting it. And following the 1910 performance of “Scheherazade” by the Ballets Russes in Paris, a fashion mania for oriental styles was born.

Designs became asymmetrical. Preferred fabrics were satin, taffeta, chiffon and lightweight silks and cottons for the summer. Hemlines gradually rose and the female silhouette became straighter and flatter. The Art Nouveau movement influenced designers such as Paul Poiret, Jeanne Paquin, Jacques Doucet and Mariano Fortuny, who created loose and flowing styles.

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