The people of Paris, 1926-1936 Through the lens of population censuses
75003 Paris
Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm
Ticket office closes at 5.15 pm
Closed on Monday and on certain bank holidays
Full rate : 15 €
Rate : 13 €
Discounts and free admission
Taking three Parisian population censuses as a starting point, the exhibition The People of Paris,1926-1936, through the lens of population censuses offers a fresh perspective on the Parisian population during the interwar period.
Since the start of the 19th century, the Parisian population kept on growing steadily, reaching a peak in population in 1921 (2.89 million inhabitants), unmatched ever since. To know the size and breakdown of its population, Paris, like any French commune, held a census every five years, resulting in the publication of statistics. But, unlike other communes, the capital had never compiled nominative lists of individuals before 1926, meaning that the three censuses of 1926, 1931, and 1936 were unprecedented.
Often consulted for genealogical research, these registers prompt an unprecedented investigation into the Parisian population from one hundred years ago. Based on the specific general structure of the Parisian population, portraits of its residents will be drawn up in four stages, covering place of birth and citizenship, professional occupation, family status, and distribution within each district and building within the city.
Made up of diverse life stories, a mosaic then emerges in a whirlwind of memories and emotions. This exhibition invites us to better understand and appreciate ourselves, both individually and collectively.
Curators
Valérie Guillaume, Director of the Musée Carnavalet - Histoire de Paris
Hélène Ducaté, Scientific Project Coordinator for the Musée Carnavalet - Histoire de Paris
Sandra Brée, Research Fellow for the CNRS at the Rhône-Alpes Historical Research Laboratory (LARHRA), guest curator
Scientific Commitee
Anaïs Albert, Lecturer at the Université Paris Cité
Céline Assegond, Sociologist, Art and Photography Historian, Research Engineer at the Université de Tours
Claire-Lise Gaillard, Research Fellow for the Institut national d’études démographiques
Cyril Grange, Research Director for the CNRS
Béatrice Hérold, Director of the Archives de Paris
Paul Lecat, Lecturer at the Université de Tours
Nicolas Pierrot, Chief Curator, Heritage and Inventory Department at the Région Île-de-France
Anne-Cécile Tizon-Germe, Deputy Director of the Archives de Paris
Image : Au Réveil Matin, Maison Bénazet, café restaurant, 113 avenue Jean-Jaurès, 19e arrondissement, vers 1935, carte postale photographique. © Ville de Paris / Bibliothèque historique
With the support of
