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When Haussmann transformed Paris…

From 1865 to 1878, Charles Marville was assigned by the City of Paris to photograph Old Paris before, during, and after its transformation into a modern city. Patrice de Moncan has collected a series of amazing shots for a book and an exhibition that delve into the capital’s extraordinary history.

Thousand-year-old Paris is definitely a modern city of the 19th century. It consists, of course, of incredible elements from various eras, but monumental Paris—the one boasting wide avenues and numerous viewpoints—was the result of the mammoth renovation project led by Baron Haussmann, known in some respects as the “father of urban planning.” An exhibition of photographs presented last fall at Le Louvre des Antiquaires in Paris and a fascinating book plunge you into the history of a capital undergoing transformation. Paris history specialist Patrice de Moncan invites you to take this historic journey in his work Paris photographié au temps d’Hausmann, published by Éditions du Mécène. This book, produced in collaboration with Clémence Maillard, brings together over 150 photographs taken by Charles Marville. From 1865 to 1878, Charles Marville was assigned by the City of Paris to photograph Old Paris before, during, and after its transformation into a modern city. This book bears witness not only to the city’s major urban and architectural metamorphosis, but also the history of photography. When Marville started taking photographs of Paris at the request of the Paris historical committee created by Haussmann, this medium was still in its infancy. By the time he finished his task in 1878, the technology had marked major progress, reducing exposure time from a few minutes to a few seconds.

Corner of Avenue Rapp and Rue Saint-Dominique, 1877
Double lantern lamppost. This photo is symbolic. The lamppost divides the landscape in half. On the right, Paris before 1853, with its dilapidated houses, and on the left, new Haussmannian cut-stone buildings with ornate balconies.

Rue Champlain, 1858
This street, which no longer exists, depicts what was once Little Poland and so many other poverty-stricken Paris neighborhoods in the 1850s.

Le percement de l'Avenue de l'Opéra, 1877

Avenue de l'Opéra Drawing, 1877
Avenue de l'Opéra, 1877
Avenue de l’Opéra was built between 1864 and 1876. As a result, historic Paris districts Butte Saint-Roch and Butte des Moulins disappeared in 1875. The comparison between the photo taken from the roof of the opera house and the etching of the completed square and avenue provides a means of measuring the extent of the work.

Place du Carrousel, 1865
Excavation of the street and the blind alley known as Impasse du Doyenné. The Royal Palace can be seen in the background.

Rue de Rivoli, 1877
View from Caserne Napoléon. On the left, scaffolding can be seen around the city hall being rebuilt after Paris Commune insurgents had ransacked it and set it on fire.