Revoir Paris. Paris through the lens of the Séeberger brothers (1900-1907)

Travel through the Paris of the belle époque

The Séeberger brothers were Jules (1872-1932) and his two younger brothers, Henri (1876-1956) and Louis (1874-1946). Their photos show the city’s most iconic locations, such as Montmartre, but also less well-known spots, like the Bièvre river. Every location is enlivened by the presence of Parisian men and women. The exhibition offers a chronological and thematic journey through the Paris of the belle époque as seen through the lens of the Séeberger brothers – who captured, better than anyone, the atmosphere of the capital on the eve of the First World War.

Amateur photography competitions

At the beginning of the 20th century cameras were becoming increasingly user-friendly, and photography began to attract a growing number of enthusiasts. The Paris city council responded by organising amateur documentary photography competitions which culminated in an exhibition. Between 1904 and 1907 four such competitions were held, and the Séeberger brothers took part in all four. The city specified the themes, focusing on historic locations or sites threatened by change or even disappearance, such as the Jardin du Luxembourg, the Jardin des Plantes, the banks of the Seine, the historic Montmartre, the grand hôtels (private mansions) in the Marais district, and the Bièvre. The photos sent in were judged by a jury and exhibited in the Petit Palais. The winners received a medal and the city council acquired the winning photographs for the Musée Carnavalet collection. These four exhibitions offered the Séeberger brothers an opportunity for their work to be noticed, and it launched their career, which later concentrated on postcards and photographs of beautifully-dressed women in the street.