Photo : BHVP
Exhibition "It was Paris in 1970"
Travel back to the raw and authentic Paris of the seventies through a massive photographic archive captured by amateur eyes. This immersive exhibition reveals a city in the middle of a major metamorphosis, balancing nostalgia for a quieter time with the relentless pulse of urban progress.
Bibliothèque historique de la Ville de Paris (BHVP)
About
Step back in time to the Paris of 1970 at the Bibliothèque historique de la Ville de Paris. This exhibition showcases a vast photographic collection resulting from a historic competition organized by the City and Fnac to capture the capital's essence. From daily life and street games to urban construction and the changing face of the city, explore a visual archive that bridges the gap between the sixties and the seventies. The exhibition is free and accessible to wheelchair users via the Jardin Lamoignon - Mark Ashton at 25 rue des Franc-Bourgeois. Please note that attendance is restricted to visitors aged 18 and over.
From June 1 to October 15, 2026, the Historical Library is dedicating an exhibition to the "It was Paris in 1970" photographic collection, from the competition of the same name.
In the spring of 1970, the City of Paris and Fnac launched a major competition with the stated goal of creating photographic archives of the capital that were as precise and complete as possible. For the occasion, Paris was divided into 1,755 virtual squares of 250 meters by 250 meters; each square could be drawn by an amateur photographer to carry out a report. The Historical Library was designated to receive the rich production of the competition, generated in a few weeks: 30,000 color slides and 70,000 black and white prints.
The exhibition honors this plethoric, instructive, and moving collection, nostalgic for the 1960s and foreshadowing the modernity of the seventies. It is an invitation to dive into these visual archives, witnesses to a partially disappeared Paris: streets where children jump rope and play cops and robbers freely, where the elderly meet on a bench for a game of cards, where one encounters boules players in every square and vacant lot. A city where the car reigns supreme under the vigilant eye of traffic wardens and under which a maze of underground tunnels hosts the Metro and the young RER lines. A city under construction, filled with demolition, building, and restructuring, in which people worry about expropriation just like in the days of Haussmann. A city, finally, where information and politics are read in the printed press, distributed everywhere, and on the walls, covered with posters and graffiti.
Alongside the exhibition prints, the public will have access to all digitized photographs and will thus be able to wander through the different districts of the capital. An immersive device will allow viewers to see a selection of slides in conditions comparable to those practiced in the 1970s.
- Free admission from Monday to Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Guided tours by reservation: Ticketing: Guided tour of the exhibition "It was Paris in 1970" - Billetweb
Our take on this event
From June 1, 2026, to October 15, 2026, the Bibliothèque historique de la Ville de Paris hosts an exhibition dedicated to the archives of the 'C’était Paris en 1970' project. This collection, comprising 30,000 color slides and 70,000 black and white prints, offers a fascinating look at a Paris that has partly disappeared. Visitors will explore scenes of street life, the construction of the RER, and a city undergoing significant structural renovation.
The exhibition is open Monday through Saturday, from 10:00 to 18:00. In addition to the prints on display, visitors can browse the entire digitized collection or experience a special immersive setup designed to project slides as they were viewed in the 1970s. Guided tours are available by reservation. Note that heatwave alerts may lead to exceptional changes in opening hours.
Admission is free for visitors aged 18 and above. Wheelchair access is provided through the Jardin Lamoignon - Mark Ashton at 25 rue des Franc-Bourgeois.
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Weather forecast
Light rain
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