Protest in Paris, 1968 (Paperback)

~ (Photographer), Katherine Hart (Contributor), Thomas Crow (Contributor), M. Anne Sa'adah (Contributor)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

May 9 through 13, 1968 was the beginning of a time of upheaval and social spectacle that pitted students and workers against an unsympathetic government in a series of spirited protests that would fundamentally change France. This catalogue showcases photographs of the famous events by French photographer Serge Hambourg. Hambourg captured the various moods and moments of the protests, including powerful portraits of student leaders Jacques Sauvageot, Daniel Cohn-Bendit, and Alain Geismar, writer Louis Aragon, and filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard.

An essay by political scientist, M. Anne Sa'adah describes the intense frustration on the part of students, which escalated quickly into demonstrations and clashes between police and protestors. The inept reaction of the government in turn led to workers' strikes, and the general upheaval precipitated the dissolution of the French National Assembly and new general elections. Paired with a critical essay by art historian, Thomas Crow that delves into the contemporary relevant arts scene of the time, this marriage of never-before-exhibited photographs and penetrating interpretation gives us a more tangible sense of the climate of dissent, of what it might have been like building barricades or defending the status quo in the capital of France in 1968.

These photographs of Paris will raise numerous questions. To those who study or lived through these events, they are a source of information and a spark to memory, what Serge Hambourg has described as a "slice of life" during a fascinating time. Hambourg captures the force of this cultural moment, and his photographs in turn become part of its memory, joining with written accounts by witnesses, political analyses, social commentary, filmed footage, films, posters, performance, art, novels, and other photographs in a patchwork of social science and artistic representation.

About the Author

SERGE HAMBOURG is an independent photographer who in the 1960s and 1970s worked directly for the magazine, Le Nouvel Observateur and the newspaper, Le Figaro. He has also worked as a producer of television films and as a publicity photographer for several advertising agencies. His photographs have been reproduced in books, magazines, and journals, including Paris Match, New York Magazine and Time, and his work has been exhibited at museums and galleries around the world. He lives and works in Paris.

THOMAS CROW is Director of the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles, and Professor of the History of Art at the University of Southern California. A contributing editor of Artforum, he writes frequently on contemporary art and cultural issues and has published several books including The Rise of the Sixties (1996, 2nd ed. 2005).

M. ANNE SA'ADAH is Joel Parker Professor of Law and Political Science at Dartmouth College. She is also the author of Contemporary France: A Democratic Education (2003) and The Shaping of Liberal Politics in Revolutionary France: A Comparative Perspective (1990), among others.

Product Details

• Paperback: 88 pages
• Publisher: Hood Museum of Art (December 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0944722326
• ISBN-13: 978-0944722329
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 10.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #950,300 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Timely Contribution, September 19, 2007

By	Michael Fekula (College Park, MD) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is a fine addition to the limited body of work in English on the events of France in May/June of 1968. As we approach the 40th anniversary of those events it is important to have an eye witness to history like Serge Hambourg who can provide a photographic account of events as they occurred. As is mentioned in the introduction, many of the photos here are appearing for the first time, which by itself makes this an important document.

The book is also unusual in that there are a few photos of the pro-Gaulist demonstration of May 30, 1968 that appear toward the end of the book. The authors are correct to point out that while the rightist tendencies of a good portion of the French population are difficult to contend with for observers who were sympathetic to the student/worker movement, it is important that this tendency must be recorded and analyzed to gain a comprehensive view of what took place. However, most of the photographic work is of the student/worker side of the power equation and then, mostly of the students.

A warning to the reader: this book is largely one man's view. We see events mostly through the camera eye of Hambourg. The accompanying introduction and articles by Katherine Hart, M. Anne Sa'adah, and Thomas Crow provide a solid outline of events -- a good nuts and bolts description of what happened, when it happened, and who were the major players. Here again, this is not meant to be comprehensive. This book is an outstanding introduction to France May/June 1968, but should be taken as a point of departure for further reading.

Nearly forty years after the fact, I still refer people to Daniel and Gabriel Cohn-Bendit's "Obsolete Communism: the Left-Wing Alternative" as the seminal work on this subject. Another title I would recommend is Daniel Singer's "Prelude to Revolution: France in May 1968". Sadly, there has not been sufficient scholarship on this period -- at least not in English. Now is the time for the research to be done; this collection of Hambourg's work is a good start. Hopefully there will be more on the way.

It will also be interesting to see what, if any events take place in the spring of 2008 to observe the anniversary of these events. Any information on conferences, gatherings, etc. in connection to this should be posted and would be appreciated.