Popular Paris in the 70s: the Roger-Viollet gallery photo exhibition unveiled

What was Paris like in the 1970s? Thanks to the magic of photography, and the talent of François-Xavier Bouchart and Léon Claude Vénézia, we can find out. The two artists are at the center of Galerie Roger-Viollet 's new free exhibition, on view from March 7 to June 1, 2024.

The gallery invites us to come and admire some sixty photographs, depicting the popular Paris of the 70s. A lively, colorful, atypical Paris, which emerges through the images on display.

Between 1965 and 1975, François-Xavier Bouchart and Léon Claude Vénézia surveyed the capital, immortalizing its neighborhoods. More specifically, the Belleville and Ménilmontant areas of the 20th arrondissement. At the time, these two very working-class neighborhoods were mainly home to blue-collar workers, immigrants and humble laborers. It was also during this period that major works and redevelopments were carried out, to renovate insalubrious housing and give a little prestige to these underprivileged neighborhoods.

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Before they passed away, the two photographers sought to capture the essence and soul of these Parisian streets, which inspired so many artists. Children playing in the parks and streets, young people socializing, workers at café terraces, shop fronts, scenes of daily life, modest houses and gardens, building courtyards: all the details that make up the life of a neighborhood are captured by their cameras, preserved to keep alive the memory of this working-class Paris.

The picturesque images tell the story of a village bustling with life and culture. This little corner of Paris was a meeting place for many immigrants. A time not so long ago: if you're familiar with Ménilmontant and Belleville, you'll be able to recall landscapes from your childhood. In these shots, the precarious housing and difficult living conditions almost fade into the background, behind the children's games and the atypical characters you might meet on these streets.

With this exhibition, Galerie Roger-Viollet takes us back in time to the era of our parents and grandparents, to the Paris that inspired the work of Daniel Pennac, Robert Doisneau, Albert Lamorisse and François Truffaut...