In the 1920s and 1930s, who were the people living and working in Paris? Between Art Déco, fashion changes, water, gas and electricity, who were the designers and workers? Where did they live? In 1921, Paris reached a height of almost three million inhabitants (2,89 million) in population. The censuses carried out between 1926 and 1936 defined in more detail this population. These details provide a looking glass into Parisian lives during this time between the two wars. All labelling for the exhibition is in French and English. All films have French and English subtitles. For lovers of Paris history, this is an exhibition I highly recommend.
Additional photos and descriptions are on my photo exhibition page Les Gens de Paris 1926-1936.
The Census Tells Many Stories
Paris was a “City of Lovers”. With the end of World War I, an abundant number of single men and women moved to Paris. Paris reached its highest density in 1921. Dance halls and music halls made their first appearances. Amusement parks and transvestite balls gave additional opportunities to have fun and go out. Magazines for matchmaking gave advice to increase the population.
The Machine That Made Detail Possible
The lives of the singles and others are covered and counted between the wars with the detailed censuses 1926, 1931 and 1936. This ten-year period can be divided into two periods. The first period went by numerous names in France, America and Britain: entre-deux-guerres (between the two wars), les années folles (the best years), the Roaring Twenties, the Golden Twenties. The second period was collectively known as the Great Depression.
City of Love and Catherinettes
Paris gained its reputation as the “City of Love” due to the high number of single people; twenty-nine percent of the population. This was a result of World War I. These were women looking for work and widows. Two results of World War I were the loss of men and a decrease in fertility. The pressure was on to make more French citizens. One of numerous ways to catch a man was a race in a dress, heels and a hat box. Each November 25, was the “Catherinettes” race. Images of Catherinettes celebrating was part of the Petit Palais exhibition House of Worth.
AI used to organise data
The Musée Carnavalet and the Historical Research Library of Rhône-Alpes make it easy to understand more about the census results. Using research, Artificial Intelligence, science, photos, posters, recordings, film, infographics, scale models, etc., the museum has made statistics fascinating. Beginning with the 1926 census more details were registered such as birth place, nationality, professions, marital status, individuals in a building and in the neighborhood, The Musée Carnavalet’s exhibition presents this portrait until February 8, 2026.
The Brochure to Get Your Visit Started
Read the handout brochure for a preview of your visit. Spend about two hours. The numerous films and documentaries are worth watching. The description labels are full of extra details.
We usually think of this period between the two wars as one big party and Americans abroad. This exhibit is about the people who lived and worked behind the scenery of Paris.
The exhibit ends with the faces of Parisian merchants posing in front of their shops. The postcard series showcases the diversity of Parisian businesses from 1926-1939.
What makes this a fabulous, historic exhibition are the details that accompany the films, photos, art, scale models, etc. Without the censuses the objects in the exhibition would have little meaning.
The lives would just be numbers. The range of coverage is immense thanks to the exhibition producers and the scientific committee’s knowledge and research. Additional information and images are on my Additional photos and descriptions are on my photo exhibition page Les Gens de Paris 1926-1936.