In November 2026, the Librairie & Galerie Saint-Michel presents a collection of photographic archives from the Paris Commune.
The popular uprisings that followed the fall of the Second Empire and defeat against Prussia mark a revolutionary episode that left a lasting imprint on political and social history. Having endured deprivation and poverty during the siege of Paris, the Parisian population refused to accept surrender. This uprising became one of the earliest subjects of photojournalism: Paris was both a stage for barricades and a studio and laboratory for developing photographic and photomontage techniques.
Drawn from a private collection, the archives bear witness to these uprisings, from barricades to ruins, highlighting the men and women who fought to the death for democratic ideals. In the process, society began to shift in its view of women fighting on the front lines.
Collard, Disdéri, Braquehais, Appert, and Blancard were among the earliest "photo-reporters," alongside many anonymous photographers, covering a city in upheaval - its wartime architecture, its actors in portraits or staged scenes.
Alongside this, photographer Martin Bruno turns his lens on these same streets and neighborhoods today. A photographer of travel and color, drawn to places that seem outside of time, Martin Bruno composes geographic portraits that explore the links between landscape, memory, and human presence.
Librairie & Galerie Saint-Michel
The Librairie & Galerie Saint-Michel opened in 2023 within the walls of the former, celebrated Galerie RG Michel, run since 1913 on the quais by the same Michel family. Recapturing the spirit of the space, the new gallery remains committed to its ties with printmaking and focuses primarily on works on paper. Thematic exhibitions bring together artists across different eras and techniques.