On June 14, 1940, Parisians awaken to the sound of a German-accented voice announcing via loudspeakers that a curfew was being imposed for 8 p.m. that evening as German troops enter and occupy Paris. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill had tried for days to convince the French government to hang on, not to sue forContinue reading “25 Color Photographs Capture the Fall of Paris in 1940”
Tag Archives: France
Curious Pair of Shoes Called “Soles” Ardèche From the Late 19th Century
This footwear, called “Soles”, made in the Ardèche region of France in the 19th century. The soles are heavy duty shoes whose soles are studded with sharp blades. They were in wood for the sole, leather for the portion covering the foot and metal for the dents. The soles were used to peel the chestnuts,Continue reading “Curious Pair of Shoes Called “Soles” Ardèche From the Late 19th Century”
Self Portrait as a Drowned Man: The First Hoax Photograph Ever Shot in 1840
The first hoax photograph was taken in 1840 by Hippolyte Bayard. Both Bayard and Louis Daguerre fought to claim the title “Father of Photography.” Bayard had supposedly developed his photography process before Daguerre introduced the daguerreotype. However, the announcement of the invention was held off, and Daguerre claimed the moment. In a rebellious move, BayardContinue reading “Self Portrait as a Drowned Man: The First Hoax Photograph Ever Shot in 1840”
25 Amazing 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 inContinue reading “25 Amazing Color Photographs of Paris in the 1950s”
30 Intimate Photographs That Capture Everyday Life in French Psychiatric Hospitals in the 1950s
Jean-Philippe Charbonnier (August 28, 1921 – May 28, 2004) was a French photographer whose works typify the humanist impulse in that medium in his homeland of the period after World War II. In 1954, Charbonnier documented French psychiatric hospitals, and some of the photographs were published in Réalités in January 1955, in which he employedContinue reading “30 Intimate Photographs That Capture Everyday Life in French Psychiatric Hospitals in the 1950s”
France in the 1940s Through a German Soldier’s Lens
In 1940, France was invaded and quickly defeated by Nazi Germany. France was divided into a German occupation zone in the north, an Italian occupation zone in the southeast and an unoccupied territory, the rest of France, which consisted of the southern French metropolitan territory (two-fifths of pre-war metropolitan France) and the French empire, whichContinue reading “France in the 1940s Through a German Soldier’s Lens”
Frances Willard on Her Bicycle, “Gladys”
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. He became a globetrotter, always in search of something special andContinue reading “30 Stunning Color Photographs of Paris in 1923”
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 (NovemberContinue reading “This Is Marie Antoinette’s Shoe She Wore Before Her Execution on October 16, 1793”
27 Amazing Photos of French People Posing in Front of Their Boulangeries During the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries
France is world famous for its delicious baking. If you love bread, you can find a bakery or, as the French call it, a boulangerie, on almost every street corner. The smell of fresh-baked bread alone can tempt you into the boulangerie and when you’re inside, you are met with the sight of many doughyContinue reading “27 Amazing Photos of French People Posing in Front of Their Boulangeries During the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries”
