Un Parfum de Bonheur

This exhibition presents a selection from a previously unpublished photographic collection. “Un parfum de bonheur” was included in the program for “Mois de la Photo 2014,” organized by the Maison Européenne de la Photographie (MEP). The ongoing reevaluation of the history of photography has helped us rediscover the essential role of amateur photographers and the richness of their archives. France Demay (1906–1963), a photographer and community activist, was one such figure. In the 1930s, he photographed young athletes from Parisian workers’ sports clubs, in which he himself was active. Whether at the stadium, in the forest, or in the mountains, he captured their energy, their training sessions, their leisure activities, and their moments of camaraderie. In 1936, some of them participated in the People’s Olympics in Barcelona, organized in response to the Berlin Olympic Games. Through these images, Demay reveals a youth driven by sports, community life, and an ideal of solidarity. Behind the spontaneity and joy of the scenes, the political context of an era marked by the rise of fascism also comes into focus. The glass plates and acetate films selected for the exhibition will be restored by students at Gobelins, the School of Visual Arts.