Liberation of Paris – 14 large photographs documenting the events of the city’s liberation from Nazi occupation during the final stages of clearing German soldiers – August 1944. All photos are stamped on the reverse with the ink stamp of the photo agency active in the city during the days of liberation: L.A.P.I
Photographs include: Fighters of the French Resistance (the Maquis or FFI – Forces Françaises de l’Intérieur) armed with rifles, combat gear, and military helmets surrounding with crossed arms a group of German prisoners with raised hands in surrender; assisted by a Red Cross nurse in medical uniform and with the Red Cross flag. The entry of the 2nd Armored Division of the Free French Army into the city; German officers raising a white flag in surrender; German officers led through the streets of Paris with raised hands; French civilians taking part in the fighting for the city’s liberation; German prisoners being taken into custody near the Hôtel Continental; civilians alongside barricades erected in a central square; General de Gaulle; Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, commander of the 3rd Division during the battle for France; crowds cheering as General Leclerc’s armored vehicles pass through the streets of Paris; civilians constructing a barricade on Boulevard des Batignolles.
The liberation of Paris, part of Operation Overlord, marked the end of World War II.
The L.A.P.I photo agency (Les Actualités Photographiques Internationales) was founded in 1938 by Robert Delhay, after taking over a photographers’ cooperative named Photographes Associés. During the German occupation of Paris (1940–1944), L.A.P.I continued to operate, documenting daily life in the city under Vichy and Nazi rule. The agency’s photographers captured a wide range of subjects, including official events, street life, underground activity, and propaganda images. During the liberation of Paris in August 1944, L.A.P.I photographers were present and documented the fighting, the arrival of Allied forces, and the historic moments of the residents’ enthusiasm.
All photographs in identical size: 24×18 cm. All stamped on the reverse with the agency’s ink stamp: L.A.P.I. – Very good condition.
