The rebuilding of French cities 1945-1958, organized by Marta Gili’s Jeu de Paume and the city of Tours, is on display at the Château de Tours until May 25, 2012.

The contradictions between these two exhibitions go beyond the destruction/reconstruction aspect, it stretches to the second part of the title. In Montpellier, pictures from outside of France are featured, while in Tours, French cities and their post war revivals are highlighted. Following world war II, the French Recontruction and Urbanism Ministry (MRU) created a photo service. When in1958 political transitions put an end to this documentation, the Ministry had gathered some 33,000 pictures.

The exhibition features a selection of these pictures, from the ready-made houses in Noisy-le-Sec to the rebuilding of central Orléans, Le Havre, Marseille, Nantes, or Strasbourg, the birth of metropolis. It also includes a sociological view of living conditions, with interior shots including portraits. It is the first such exhibit revealing the vast amount of pictures gathered during these post-war years and features 130 black.

Some of the previously unknown photographers featured in this exhibition curated by Didier Mouchel, include Henri Salesse (1914-2006), well known for his commissioned works through 1977, Pierre Mourier, born in 1914 who, after working as a laboratory assistant, worked as director of the Cinemathèque, and the Parisian Paul Harlé who was only involved with the MRU project from 1953-1955. 
A slide show designed for the exhibition features pictures of Tours being rebuilt after World War II according to the project designed by architects Jean Dorian and Pierre Patout.

Bernard Perrine
Bernard.Perrrine1@orange.fr

Exhibition

Tours
"Photographies à l'œuvre"
La reconstruction des villes françaises (1945-1958)
Until May 20, 2012

Château de Tours
25 avenue Malraux
37000 Tours
France

Tuesday through Friday, 2pm-6pm
Saturday and Sunday, 2:15pm – 6pm

Catalogue

La reconstruction des villes françaises
Text, Didier Mouchel
Coédition Le Point du Jour / Éditions du Jeu de Paume
144pages 230x220mm