France’s 1950s economic boom led to substantial changes in French lifestyles and some of society’s fundamental structures. Near the turn of the century, the French people had come to enjoy greater comfort and security than their ancestors; they had come to rely on automobiles, modern appliances, and vacation homes that were once considered luxuries. French people began buying installments from supermarkets and spending less money on food and drink instead of paying attention to health and leisure activities. They were better protected from illness, unemployment, and a neglected old age by the expanded social security system after World War II. Modern technology and a new managerial spirit ushered France into the post-industrial era in the industrial regions. Unskilled workers declined in favor of technically trained specialists, and middle-management positions increased sharply.
The Marshall Plan organized intensive tours of American industry. Four hundred and seventy-one French businessmen and experts visited factories, farms, stores, and offices in the U.S. Many were amazed at how easy it was to buy a new automobile for a low price after nine months of work versus 30 months in France. A few companies in France resisted Americanization, but the most profitable ones, especially in chemicals, oil, electronics, and instrumentation, took advantage of the opportunity to attract American investments and expand their markets.
After the Second World War, Paris quickly regained its status as one of the world’s great centers of intellectual creativity. There was a cluster of brilliant thinkers and writers competing for influence, attracting followers abroad and in France. Jean-Paul Sartre led the first postwar wave, which made existentialism the leading ideology at the time.
Below are some stunning photos that will take you back to the 1950s in France.
#1 View towards the Eiffel Tower from the Arc de Triomphe (the soldier is Canadian), 1953
#2 Village in the Jura Mountains, France, 1953
#3 Anthéor, 1957
#4 Eiffel Tower, 1959
#5 Lesconil, 1959
#6 Azay-le-Rideau. Religious procession, Rue Balzac, France, early 1950s
#7 Arromanches les Bains, Landing Museum, 1958
#8 Arromanches les Bains, Landing Museum, 1958
#9 Boulevard de la Croisette, Cannes, 1958
#10 Boulevard de la Croisette, Cannes, 1958
#11 On the beach, Cannes, 1958
#12 Outside Hotel L’Amiraute, Place de la Gare, Cannes, 1955
#13 Possibly taken near the Plage Royale. The buildings in the background may have been demolished, Cannes, 1958
#14 View from Jette Albert Edouard, Cannes, 1956
#15 View from Jette Albert Edouard, Cannes, 1956
#16 View from Jette Albert Edouard, Cannes, 1956
#17 View of the USS Intrepid in the Golfe de la Napoule from Boulevard de la Croisette, Cannes, 1956
#18 Chartres Cathedral (Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres), Cannes, 1956
#19 Chateau de Maintenon, Cannes, 1958
#20 Chatres Cathedral, Cannes, 1958
#21 Front portal, Chartres Cathedral, Cannes, 1958
#22 Lacemakers in traditional dresses outside Chartres Cathedral, Chartres, 1958
#23 View from the tower, Chartres Cathedral (Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres), Chartres, 1956
#24 Deauville Casino (the white building to the right), and the Hôtel Barrière Le Normandy (the brown building on the left) from Rue de la Mer, 1958
#25 Deauville, France, 1958
#26 Deauville, France, 1958
#27 Le Planches de Deauville (cnr Place Claude Lelouch), Deauville, 1958
#28 Le Planches de Deauville (cnr Place Claude Lelouch), Deauville, 1958
#29 Le Planches de Deauville (cnr Place Claude Lelouch), Deauville, 1958
#30 Chateau Fontainebleau, Fontainebleau, 1953
#31 Chateau Fontainebleau, Fontainebleau, 1953
#32 Château Azay le Rideau, Loire Valley, 1950s
#33 Château d’Amboise, Loire Valley, 1950s
#34 Château de Blois, Loire Valley, 1950s
#35 Le Château de Valensay, Loire Valley, 1950s
#36 View from Rue Gambatta of Château de Langeais, Langeais, Loire Valley, 1958
#37 View of the Spire of St Peters Church and the Cessart Bridge from Château de Saumur, Loire Valley, 1958
#38 Looking towards the Cathedral, Gros Horloge (Big Clock) Street, France, 1956
#39 Produce market, Rue Fortia, Marseille, 1953
#40 Produce market, Rue Fortia, Marseille, 1953
#41 Mont St Michel, France, 1958
#42 At the beach, Nice, 1955
#43 At the beach, Nice, 1955
#44 Le Negresco and the garden wall of Villa Massena, Nice, 1956
#45 Promenade de Angais, and Le Negresco, Marseille, 1956
#46 Sunbathers in bikinis, Marseille, 1955
#47 View from around 142-154 Boulevard Carnot, Mont Boron of Port Lympia, Marseille, 1956
#48 On Gros Horloge (Big Clock) Street, France, 1956
#49 Orléans Cathedral (Basilique Cathédrale Sainte-Croix d’Orléans) from Rue Jeanne d’Arc, 1956
#50 9 Rue de l’Échelle, 1st Arrondissement, then the Le Gourmet Sans Chiqué Restaurant, now the Metal Flaque Bridal Shop, Paris, 1953
#51 Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, Paris, 1950s
#52 Arc de Triomphe, Paris, 1950s
#53 Eiffel Tower and the Golden Statues of Palais Chaillot, Paris, 1950s
#54 L’Arc de Triomphe at night, Paris, 1956
#55 L’église de la Madeleine, Paris, August 1955
#56 L’Hôtel national des Invalides (The National Residence of the Invalids), Paris, 1956
#57 Moulin Rouge at night, Paris, 1956
#58 Notre Dame de Paris, Paris, 1956
#59 Notre-Dame de Paris, 1950s
#60 On Avenue du General Lemonnier looking towards the Pavillon de Marsan, Louvre, Paris, 1956
#61 On Rue du Chevalier de la Barre, looking towards Sacré-Cœur Basilica, Paris, 1953
#62 On Rue du Mont-Cenis (cnr of rue du Chevalier-de-La-Barre), 1953
#63 On the Avenue des Champs-Elysees looking toward the Arc de Triomphe, Paris, 1950s
#64 Palais Garnier (Home of the Paris Opera), Paris, 1956
#65 Palais Garnier (Home of the Paris Opera), Paris, 1956
#66 Pavillon Sully, Palais du Louvre, Paris, 1956
#67 Petit Palais, Paris, 1956
#68 Petit Palais, Paris, 1956
#69 Pissoir, Paris, August 1955
#70 Rue de Rivoli, Paris, 1950s
#71 The Obelisk from the Tuileries Garden, Paris, 1950s
#72 The Panthéon, Paris, 1956
#73 View from Avenue de Tourville of the Monument to Marshal Gallieni & the Palaise Les Invalides, Paris, 1950s
#74 View from the Cour Carrée, Louvre, Paris, 1956
#75 View from the Eiffel tower towards Arc de Triomph, Paris, 1953
#76 View from the Eiffel Tower, 1956
#77 View from the Eiffel Tower, 1956
#78 View from the southern bank of the River Seine of the Notre Dame de Paris, 1956
#79 View from the southern bank of the River Seine of the Notre Dame de Paris, 1956
#80 Chimney Flues, Rue Robert de Coucy, near the Reims Cathedral, Reims, 1956
#81 Crossing Tower of the Church of St. Ouen, Rouen, 1956
#82 Street scene, 97 Gros Horloge (Big Clock) Street, France, 1956
#83 Hyères, 1957
#84 Anthéor, 1957
#85 Anthéor, 1957
#86 Anthéor, 1957
#87 Anthéor, 1957
#88 Anthéor, 1957
#89 Bar Pique Nique, Anthéor, 1957
#90 Cote D’Azur , 1957
#91 Eiffel Tower, 1957
#92 Le Pont d’Avignon, 1957
#93 Nice casino, 1957
#94 Nice, 1957
#95 Notre Dame, Paris, 1957
#96 Paris, 1957
#97 Probably between Grenoble and Nice, 1957
#98 Promenade des Anglais, Nice, 1957
#99 Sanary, 1957
#100 Arc de Triomphe, 1959
#101 Bénodet Le Bac, 1959
#102 Bénodet, 1959
#103 Chartres, 1959
#104 Concarneau, 1959
#105 Concarneau, 1959
#106 Concarneau, 1959
#107 Concarneau, 1959
#108 Le Mans, 1959
#109 Lesconil, 1959
#110 Lesconil, 1959
#111 Lesconil, 1959
#112 Lesconil, 1959
#113 Montmartre, 1959
#114 Montmartre, 1959
#115 Montmartre, 1959
#116 Neufchatel, 1959
#117 Neufchatel, 1959
#118 Paris from Sacré Couer, 1959
#119 Pont L’Abbé, 1959
#120 Pont L’Abbé, 1959
#121 Quimper, 1959
#122 Quimper, 1959
#123 Rennes, 1959
#124 Rouen, 1959
#125 Sacré Coeur, 1959
#126 Un Pissoir, 1959
#127 Vitré, 1959
#128 Champs-Élysées Avenue, Paris in June 2, 1952
#129 Le Café du Trocadéro,Paris in June 2, 1952
#130 Martigues, France in June 8, 1952
#131 Plage des Catalans, Marseille in June 8, 1952
#132 The Tuileries Garden, Paris in June 7, 1952
#133 Avignon, France, May 22, 1954
#134 Looking down Avenue d’Iéna toward the Eiffel Tower, May 19, 1954
#135 View of Paris from the Arc de Triomphe, May 19, 1954
#136 Donkey carts, France, 1950
#137 Arc de Triomphe, Paris, France, 1950
#138 French beach, 1950
#139 French coast, 1950
#140 French coastline, 1950
#141 Jardins Biovès, Menton, France, 1950
#142 Max Leonard on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice. The hotel Negresco is at the far end, France, 1950
#143 Max Leonard on waterfront, France, 1950
#144 Monaco harbor and boats, France, 1950
#145 Monaco harbor, France, 1950.
#146 Monaco harbor, France, 1950
#147 Monte Carlo Casino, Monaco, France, 1950
#148 Notre-Dame, Paris, France, 1950
#149 Palm lined street, France, 1950
#150 Pont d’lena, Paris, France, 1950
#151 Soldiers posing, France, 1950
#152 Top of Arc de Triomphe, Paris, France, 1950
#153 View from Arc de Triomphe, Paris, France, 1950
#154 Église Saint-Ausone d’Angoulême, France, 1952
#155 Monaco harbor, France, 1952
#156 Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, France, 1956
#157 Flower market in Paris, France, 1956
#158 Joan of Arc at the Place des Pyramides on the Rue de Rivoli in Paris, France, 1956
#159 Paris garden, France, 1956
#160 Palace of the Popes, Avignon, France, 1957
#161 On Boulevard Saint-Germain looking toward Le Rouquet on the opposite corner (situated at 188 Boulevard Saint-Germain), Paris.
#162 Children playing, Paris.
#163 Supermag Clothing Store, 50 Rue de Rennes, Paris.
#164 Toy-shop window, Paris.
#165 Bust of Auguste Comte and Chapel of the Sorbonne, Place de la Sorbonne, Paris.
#166 View from the Pont des Arts of the Ile de la Cite and Pont Nuef, Paris.
#167 Flea Market (marché aux puces), Porte de Clignancourt, Paris.
#168 Flea Market (marché aux puces), Porte de Clignancourt, Paris.
#169 Flea Market (marché aux puces), Porte de Clignancourt, Paris.
#170 View from Prom. Maurice Carême of the Face of the Southern Transept of Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris.
#171 Woman & dog near Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris.
#172 View from North Western Tower of Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris.
#173 Inside Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris.
#174 View from under the Petit Pont of Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris.
#175 View from under the Petit Pont of Pont Saint-Michel, Paris.
#176 The Petit Pont, Paris.
#177 Le Havre.
#178 Latona Fountain, Gardens at the Palace of Versailles.
#179 Hameau de la Reine, Versailles.
#180 Le Versailles apartment block to the left and Centre Universitaire Méditerranéen to the right, Promenade Des Anglais, Nice.
#181 Quai Entrecasteaux (near the Yacht Club), Port Lympia, Nice.
#182 Fishing-net repairs on the quay at Port de la Santé, Villefranche Sur Mer.
#183 The Old Town, Villefranche Sur Mer.
#184 Dinner outside the Hotel Welcome, Villefranche Sur Mer.
#185 Dinner outside the Hotel Welcome, Villefranche Sur Mer.
#186 Northerly view from outside Hotel Welcome, Villefranche Sur Mer.
#187 Eze.
#188 Arromanches les Bains, Landing Museum, 1958
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