The Champs-Elysées

by Jean-Paul Caracalla

"Considered internationally as one of the most beautiful avenues in the world, the Champs-Elysees is a legendary symbol of life in the City of Lights. Extending from the Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe, and replete with elegant shops, glitzy cabarets, cafes, and restaurants, the avenue has been synonymous with prestige and luxury for over 150 years." "France's great public and sporting events have been staged along the avenue, from the Liberation of Paris in 1944 to the annual arrival of the Tour de France cycle race. Its lush gardens, trendy designer showcases, and lively passers-by have inspired renowned photographers such as Cartier-Bresson, Jacques Henri Lartigue, Robert Capa, Raymond Depardon and Bruno Barbey of Magnum. The 150 photographs in this volume chronicle a century of the greatest moments in the avenue's history, from the creation of the incomparable Lido cabaret in the 1920s, to the establishment of luxury stores such as Guerlain, Vuitton, and Paul Poiret; fr