In 1965, just over a hundred years had passed since Belleville became part of Paris. Perhaps foreshadowing the upheavals to come, it was in that year that a Bellevillois wanted to take some photos of his neighborhood. Jean-Baptiste de Baudouin, an industrial designer, acquired several rolls of color film. With the exception of a few photos by Henri Guérard or Willy Ronis, color shots of Belleville were extremely rare at the time.
And so, as Jean-Baptiste de Baudouin strolled between Belleville and République, he was able to capture the first buildings to be walled up, the alleyways that were about to disappear, and a neighborhood life that was coming to an end.
Every Sunday for the past few years, Patrick Marsaud has been presenting a selection of previously unpublished images and texts on the history of Paris on his Facebook page. This series of articles is commented on and shared by an ever-growing community of enthusiasts, with some photo series enjoying great success and increasing sharing. The meeting between Patrick Marsaud and publisher Michel Lagarde took place around the photos of Jean-Baptiste de Baudouin, an amateur photographer who captured the unique atmosphere of Belleville in the 1960s.
