Photographs of the Liberation of Paris -- 1944

[Philippe]

Anyone passing through midtown Manhattan might be interested in taking a look at a small photography show that will be running until the end of the month in one of the 57th Street galleries that deals in original prints of older photographs.

I saw this show during one of my weekend excursions, and there are several really interesting photographs in it. In particular, a wonderful shot of American troops marching down the Champs Elysee on parade before being deployed into battle that includes Robert Capa, camera in hand, scampering across the front ranks. Another that I liked was of three American MP's standing guard in front of a night club (very good image, and apropos of the African-American soldiers thread, the MP in the middle is black). There were some striking pictures of germans surrendering, and one particularly good barbed-wire barricade with a sign in French saying that anyone going beyond that point would be shot. There was even an action shot of French resistance fighters under fire that may not have been totally staged (it was, however, such a good image that you really have to wonder), and a great picture of Goumiers on the march with their goats (mascots, not food, though not sure what it had to do with the liberation of Paris).

Unfortunately the gallery owner isn't planning on posting these images on the web, nor does there seem to be a catalogue. The show announcement on the gallery website can be found at

http://www.patricialaligant.com/pressrelease/pressrealease.htm.

The show is coming down at the end of October.