Both class visits we have made, one to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the other to the International Center of Photography offered two unique versions of Paris. The MET exhibit cataloged the transformation of Paris under Emperor Napoleon III and his master planner Georges-Eugene Haussman in the mid 19th century that turned Paris into the City of Light. The ICP exhibit gave a shared vision of Paris, post World War II, and sought to remind the city of its former grandeur created by Haussman, and seen through the lens of Richard Avedon.

Paris has always maintained such an extravagant and celebrated image in our heads. From the Eiffel Tower, to the french cuisine, boutiques, charming cobble stone streets, and stately monuments. It was fascinating to see in the MET exhibit was Paris used to be like, and the tremendous work and vision it took to transform the city into the Paris that we know today.

Paris, post World War II, was a changed city. The dazzling street lights had been dulled in the minds of a people who were stricken by the calamities of war. The Parisians needed something, someone, to remind them of the brilliance of their city. Richard Avedon was the man for the job. Armed with a camera, and a cast of his favorite models, including Suzy Parker, and Robin Tattersall, Avedon roamed the streets capturing luxurious images of classic Paris. He tapped into the soul of the city that never left, even if the physicality of it had been somewhat scarred. His lush images of romance, intrigue, gambling, and debauchery, left us with an indelible vision of the passion that saturates the City of Light.