« C’est les petits des grandes villes »

Abstract

This article investigates the complex place of working-class children in Paris, from the end of the 19th century to the 1920s. The young Parisians, in particular boys, were depicted in deep connection with their city, in a wide range of media. These images were mostly positive; they also instrumentalized the children for political or commercial motives. While fictitious free-roaming gamins were everywhere, their real counterparts had to deal with new constraints imposed by adults wanting to provide stricter supervision. Nonetheless, the city’s outdoor spaces kept on serving a variety of functions and provided opportunities.

Keywords

• child
• city
• cultural representation
• working class