Product Description

Paris, the capital of France, is one of the most popular destinations in the world. The City of Lights is renowned for many things: its history, beauty, high quality of life, cosmopolitanism, art, fashion, cuisine, cultural diversity, romance, architecture, museums, theaters, and intellectual life. For these and countless other reasons, Paris immediately evokes strong sentiment, whether or not one is lucky enough to have been there.

This book, Historic Photos of Paris, explores the rise of this seductive city, through a collection of extraordinary historic photographs from international archives. The book follows the people, places, and historic events that shaped the development of modern Paris in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Iconic landmarks, scenes of daily life, and unique and rare moments are presented in hundreds of historic photographs, revealing a rich portrait of the urban masterpiece that is Paris.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #436414 in Books
• Published on: 2007-11-16
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 216 pages

Review
Historic Photos of Paris, by Rebecca Schall, is a visual time line of Paris dating back to the mid-1800's. Each photograph is clearly explained, with dates, events and background. Each chapter (time period) begins with a rundown of the historical happenings and photos to back it up. There is sufficient reading to be done, fortunately. This book shows us the changes as they took place through intriguing photography that gives us a crystal clear picture that is most definitely worth a thousand words. This book kept my interest and I found myself sad when I reached the end. I love history when I've been to a place. I was able to recognize places in the photos that my own two feet have tread, but decades and even a century later. This is a must have book for any Paris lover. --Cassoulet Cafe

The book explores the rise of this seductive city, through a collection of extraordinary historic photographs from international archives such as the legendary Roger-Viollet Agency. It follows the people, places, and historic events that shaped the development of modern Paris in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Iconic landmarks, scenes of daily life, and unique and rare moments are presented in hundreds of historic photographs, revealing a rich portrait of the urban masterpiece that is Paris. --Bob Roberts, parisvoice.com

About the Author
Rebecca Schall grew up in San Francisco, California. After receiving a master s degree in history, Rebecca lived in the Latin Quarter of Paris, where she studied at the Sorbonne, conducted historical research, and spent time as a flaneuse. Rebecca now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and teaches history. She is the author of Historic Photos of San Francisco, also available from Turner Publishing.

Customer Reviews

in a word: brilliant.
in two words: utterly brilliant. schall's vision of paris is the proverbial madeleine that ushers back memories long forgotten, of walks along the seine in the spring. this book is a masterpiece. i've never seen anything like it.

Nearly 200 photos showing Paris from the mid-19th Century through the 1960s
Paris is an ancient city. In fact, Paris is a City with a capital C because of its importance in world history. While America is a young country and photography can only take us back to the mid-19th Century, that is a pretty fair chunk of U.S. history. However, for France and Paris, that is still recent times. Still, the modern world, including two world wars and post-war industrialization, has caused vast changes in the City of Lights that are appreciated more by looking at these pictures.

Rebecca Schall has a master's degree in history, has lived in the Latin Quarter of Paris, and studied at the Sorbonne. She has previously written "Historic Photos of San Francisco" and brings her talents to selecting these 205 photos, providing excellent captions, and short chapter introductions.

The book is divided into six chapters. The first deals with Paris as a Modern Capital from the earliest days of photography to 1890. One of the many interesting photos shows the head of the Statue of Liberty displayed in a park in Paris before it was shipped to the United States.

The Beautiful Age (La Belle Époque) from 1891-to 1914 is covered in the second chapter. Here we see incipient industrialization, the Eiffel Tower as part of the exhibition for which it was built, and Notre Dame from the back and the front as well as the rich, bourgeois, and working classes going about their lives.

The third chapter takes us through the First World War and the Golden Twenties from 1915-1929. While we see the troops, the strain of war, and the straitened lives of citizens, Paris was not devastated. The fourth chapter focuses on the 1930s and the interwar hardships caused by the global economic depression.

In chapter five we see Paris captured by the Nazis during World War II and the lives of its citizens including those who collaborated and those who resisted. The photos of the Americans and other allies coming to liberate Paris demonstrate the joy of the French to be free once more.

The last chapter covers the post-war years through the 1960s and reflects the social revolutions brought about during those years.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

Paris History Book
Beautiful book! I am partial to black and white photos. What a lovely addition to our home library!