During the 1980s, Paris underwent many changes. François Mitterand was elected President of France in 1981, and during his presidency, several development projects in Paris were begun.
In 1986, the old, disused Orsay railway station near the river was renovated and reopened as the Orsay Museum of 19th-century art and civilization. In addition to the Grand Louvre, the Opéra Bastille and the Grande Arche of La Défense were also completed by the end of the 1980s. Furthermore, he raised the minimum wage, added family benefits, and instituted the fifth week of paid vacation.
Australian photographer Simon Nowicki captured these fascinating black and white photos that show street portraits of Parisians in 1981.
