Paris in full colours...from the Lumière Bros. to Martin Parr at the Hôtel de Ville de Paris 'til March 31th, 2008

On the occasion of the centenary of the Autochrome, the first industrial process for color photography invented and commercialized by the Lumiere brothers, the exhibition "Paris in full colours" reveals to the public 300 photographs of the capital. Taken between 1907 and today, these color images are mostly the work of great photographers.


Artistic witnesses of the city transformation (signs, walls, posters, decoration, urban furniture, transportation, buildings), they (re)draw at the same time the adventure of color photography.
The Paris as drawn, negative of the famed black and white Paris snapshots, is a twentieth-century Paris, lively and colorful.

The first part of the exhibit (1907-1930), devoted to the Paris autochromes plaques, reveals fifty images extracted from the "Archives of the Planet", vast collection sponsored by the banker and philanthropist Albert Kahn, as well as short films colors from 1929.

In the second part (1930-1960), dedicated to the beginnings of color photography on film, are exposed both the original prints of Gisèle Freund, testimony from the Exposition Internationale des Arts et techniques 1937 and startling images of the everyday life in Paris during the W.W. 2 Paris occupation and the liberation of Paris.


Finally, the third part (the late 60's to the present day), gives free rein to eyes focused on Paris by authors and artists using color. Bruno Barbey's May 1968 but also the work of Pierre et Gilles, Jean-Paul Goude, Sarah Moon, Martin Parr or Philippe Ramette. A section devoted to Paris fashion shows, highlights the role played by Vogue magazine and its famous photographers such as Henry Clarke, William Klein, Helmut Newton.

Paris in full colours (Paris en couleurs)...from the Lumière Bros. to Martin Parr
until March 31th, 2008

Hôtel de Ville de Paris
Salle Saint-Jean
5 rue Lobau
75004 Paris

Free entrance everyday but Sundays and bank holidays : 10am / 07pm

_{Expo « Paris en couleurs » à l'Hôtel de Ville}