French Institute: Paris Victory Day Photograph Collection

Title: Paris Victory Day Photograph Collection

Dates: 1919

Extent: 1 box

Linear feet: .41 linear feet

Language: French.

Scope and Content:  

The Paris Victory Day Photograph Collection contains ~76 photographs of the crowd, parade, soldiers, generals, etc., of the Victory Day celebrations in Paris on July 14, 1919, celebrating the allied victory post-World War I in conjunction with the typical Bastille Day celebrations. There are multiple photos of several generals and other commanding officers from the war, including many of Marshals Joffre and Foch (Commanders of the Allied Armies), Raymond Poincaré (the French president at the time), Philippe Pétain (French general who led forces to victory in the Battle of Verdun), other French officers, and the Marshal Sir Douglas Haig (commanding officer of the British armies).  

Most of the photographs are taken at or around the Arc de Triomphe, Avenue des Champs-Élysées, Place de la Concorde, Place de l’Opéra, Rue Royale, Place de l’Etoile, and other locations.  

There are a few photographs, which were unbagged, including one of the Eiffel Tower illuminated during the night. 

Biographical Note: See Finding Aid.

Arrangement: This collection only has one series, due to its limited size.

Restrictions: The collection is available to researchers and other interested parties. Permission for use or reproduction can be obtained from the director of the French Institute, and is subject to the Institute’s user policies.

Preferred Citation: Paris Victory Day Photograph Collection, French Institute, Assumption University

Processing Information: This collection was processed by Agatha Mihopoulos in the spring of 2025.

Provenance/Source of Acquisition: The provenance of this collection is unknown. It was Found in Collection more than ten years ago.

Digitization Status: Not digitized.

Full Finding Aid:

For reasons of preservation, French Institute collection materials do not circulate; however, non-rare materials are allowed to circulate through the d’Alzon Library or inter-library loan with the director’s permission.

It should be noted that the Institute’s collection includes a number of Franco-American newspapers from the New England region. Most consist of bound copies and nearly all have been microfilmed. To preserve the bound volumes, the Institute encourages scholars to consult the microfilm copies whenever they are available, for example, at the American Antiquarian Society or the Boston Public Library.