Paris in the aftermath of the Second World War was a place where the hopes and failures of twentieth-century society were laid bare. The epicenter of humanist photography in the twentieth century, it brought together a group of photographers who aimed to change the world, by highlighting the activities of ordinary people living from day to day. This major new exhibition features rarely seen work made by Todd Webb in postwar Paris, from 1948–1952. It includes many never-before- seen vintage photographs from a long-lost archive of his prints.

The rediscovery enticed preeminent photographic scholar and curator Keith F. Davis to take a new look at this rich body of work. This exhibition enlarges our understanding of Paris’s cultural importance, while providing a deeper understanding of a great and original photographic artist.

Webb came to Paris, funded by the Marshall Plan, to document the rebuilding of Europe after the war. Completely enchanted by the city, he roamed major thoroughfares and quaint old neighborhoods alike, immersing himself in the city’s culture and creating a uniquely poetic visual record of a now legendary time and place. His subjects are richly varied, ranging from the Luxembourg Garden, Île Saint-Louis and the Seine, to sidewalk cafes, the Rue Mouffetard and other street markets, as well as tributes to heroes of the recent war, portraits of street vendors, families, and children, and walls decorated with everything from film posters to Communist cries for opposition to German rearmament.

Webb proudly remarked that one of his greatest satisfactions was that “the French people liked my work, [and] many of them say this is the real Paris.” In his images of people, street life, and buildings, Webb captured the soul of one of the world’s greatest cities.

Educational themes include photography as a tool for social change, European history, war and reconstruction, and French and Parisian life and culture. The launch of the exhibition is timed to coincide with the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2024.

WORKS
+/- 71 framed photographs

DIMENSIONS
14 × 18 ins (35 × 45 cm) to 20 × 24 ins (50 × 60 cm)

SPACE REQUIREMENTS
280 linear feet (24 linear meters)

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING
Curator available for lectures and panel discussions

INQUIRIES
exhibitions@curatorial.org | 626.577.0044

FEE
Please inquire.