How France uncovered the mystery of forbidden photos of Nazi-occupied Paris

le Printemps and the search for the unknown photographer of Nazi photos in Paris

A photograph of German soldiers at the entrance to the Richelieu Drouot metro station in Paris, taken on July 14, 1940. — From the private collection of Stéphanie Colaux and Stéphane Jaegle

I recently came across this collection of photos that were taken by a man and his wife who worked at the famous department store, Le Printemps during the occupation of France.  They managed to secretly photograph German soldiers in the streets of Paris.  Such a discovery. You will recognize many of the landmarks that we casually admire today.

The simple fact that they were able to print the photos because they worked at the store and had access to materials was miraculous too! All of the photos were developed behind closed doors and were apparently never published.

During the German Occupation of France, the Nazis strictly prohibited outdoor photography; taking pictures without an official permit was punishable by imprisonment or death,” reports NPR.

By pure accident, Stéphanie Colaux, a documentary producer discovered an album of the photos many years later rummaging around a flea market in the town of Barjac in the South of France, consequently in the summer of 2020, the search for the unknown photographer began.

…[Stéphanie] Colaux told NPR she felt compelled to learn who had snapped the mysterious photographs. So she called her friend Philippe Broussard, an investigative journalist with the respected daily newspaper, Le Monde…”

…Broussard’s four-year investigation appeared as a series of articles in Le Monde in September…”

…Inside the album were 377 black-and-white photos taken between 1940 and 1942. They included street scenes with civilians and ubiquitous German soldiers, going about the business of Occupation near some of the most recognizable landmarks: Montmartre, the Place de la Concorde or the Champs-Elysées.” according to Eleanor Beardsley and Nick Spicer of NPR Europe Editions.” reported NPR.

Who was the mystery photographer?

Raoul Minot (September 28, 1893, Montluçon, France – April 28, 1945, Cham, Germany) was a French amateur photographer who was imprisoned in France and deported to concentration camps in Germany during the Second World War for his clandestine photography in Nazi-occupied Paris. He survived internment but died in Germany soon after his liberation. Minot emerged from obscurity in the summer of 2024 as a result of a four-year investigation by Le Monde journalist Philippe Broussard around the discovery of Minot’s anonymous prints…” according to Wikipedia

Raoul Minot was born on September 28, 1893, in Montluçon, France. In March 1911, he was hired as a scarf vendor in the Parisian department store Printemps.^[2] In 1914, he was mobilized for the First World War, during which he earned the Croix de guerre with bronze medal… After the First World War, he returned to the Printemps department store, where he met Marthe Bedos, whom he married. The couple moved from Paris to nearby Courbevoie in the 1920s. They had a daughter, Jacqueline. Minot was a passionate amateur photographer and regularly photographed vacations and war veteran events that he attended in Courbevoie, according to Wikipedia

I found this fascinating

One of the many things we often forget while admiring the many beautiful sites of France is just how much people lived through during the occupation of the Germans during WWII.  I live in the South of France and there are reminders everywhere.  We don’t focus on them,  but the signs are there.  Cities that have been completely rebuilt,  abandoned army headquarters that are still surrounded by barbed wire, and the many stories told by locals who recall their grandparents’ tales of a very frightening time.

Today, it is difficult to imagine the fear and destruction that went on all over France.  Coming across these photos is a very clear reminder of how real it all was and that we must never let it happen again.

I hope that you enjoy reading about this very courageous man and his wife who risked their lives only to capture a snippet of what life was like in Paris during a time when nobody really knew how and when their beloved city would be restored, if ever.

Truly a moment captured in time.

Image credits and further reference:
All images from the collection of Stéphanie Colaux and Stéphane Jaegle
For quick reference on Instagram

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