{"product_id":"historic-black-and-white-photograph-of-a-crowded-square-with-grand-hotel-1940s-2025-08-25-0078","title":"Original WWII-Era Snapshot – Bastille Day Celebration, Place de l’Opéra, Paris (1945)","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"257\" data-end=\"690\"\u003eThis original vintage photograph captures a dense crowd gathered in front of the iconic Opéra Garnier and Grand Hôtel in Paris, during Bastille Day celebrations in the immediate aftermath of World War II. The image offers a rare, historically grounded street-level view of Place de l’Opéra, with hundreds of civilians—many in wartime or early postwar attire—filling the square in public jubilation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"692\" data-end=\"1086\"\u003eThe reverse bears a handwritten inscription: \u003cem data-start=\"737\" data-end=\"759\"\u003e“Paris Bastille Day”\u003c\/em\u003e. The photograph is printed on Agfa-Brovira paper, consistent with European photographic materials used in the mid-1940s. The architectural features visible—including the façade of the Palais Garnier and signage of the Grand Hôtel—precisely situate the scene at the intersection of Boulevard des Capucines and Place de l’Opéra.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1088\" data-end=\"1443\"\u003eThe atmosphere and timing suggest this image was taken during the first Bastille Day following the liberation of Paris (July 14, 1945), a significant national holiday reclaiming public joy after years of occupation. This artifact is of particular interest to collectors of WWII-era European photography, French cultural history, and postwar civilian life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1445\" data-end=\"1719\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1445\" data-end=\"1719\"\u003eThis listing includes a high-quality 5×7 photographic print, professionally reproduced from the original and presented in a ready-to-display frame. The original vintage photo is preserved in an archival glassine envelope to protect its historical and material integrity.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Ephemera Bureau","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46702457913536,"sku":"F:\\The Ephemera Bureau\\Upload Shopify Images\\Upload many from file on Auto\\product_images_2025-08-25-0078_20250826_090053","price":71.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0703\/7596\/4864\/files\/a3cf305fd828f2f0814452fcf69c7d62.jpg?v=1756213252","url":"https:\/\/theephemerabureau.com\/products\/historic-black-and-white-photograph-of-a-crowded-square-with-grand-hotel-1940s-2025-08-25-0078","provider":"The Ephemera Bureau","version":"1.0","type":"link"}