Louis Raemaekers, “The Wonders of Culture,” a print highlighting the loss of life from Zeppelin air raids over Paris (National WWI Museum and Memorial)
The City of Lights became a living theater when civilians and soldiers faced nouvelles réalités initiated by World War I (1914-1918). The “Paris at War” exhibition at The National WWI Museum and Memorial immerses visitors in the dramatic shift from La Belle Époque to a struggle for survival.
Once radiant at the height of France’s imperial power in the early 20th century, Paris faced hardship and uncertainty as the brutality of war beset the city. After entering the museum’s Wylie Gallery, visitors encounter the immersive “Paris at War” exhibition.
Full-size streetlamps stand as sentinels. A Parisian street scene displays storefront windows dressed with front pages of newspapers, maps, posters, plates and coins related to the war. A simulated fresh-faced uniformed soldier stands as a symbol of patriotism during the mobilization for war. In time, German shells and aerial raids led to shortages of sugar, bread and fuel, further hardening hearts and resolve.
In August 2024, the museum’s curators began working with Newton, Kansas, design firm Upland Exhibits to “help us bring a vision to life of being on the streets of Paris during the war,” said Natalie Lovgren, specialist curator for women, communities of color, Indigenous peoples, and WWI. “Immersive exhibits like this are something we wanted to do at scale, and to keep telling stories in new ways.”
Walls and signage using the French flag’s tricolors designate separate sections: the war’s beginning, the celebrated 1917 arrival of American troops in a war-weary city, and armistice. Posters, objects and placards document how Allied troops and soldiers from French-colonized countries converged in Paris. The exhibition highlights Paris at the epicenter of cultural and social exchanges, such as the introduction of American jazz to Parisians. With a level playing field in Europe, relationships sparked between brave Black American soldiers who faced prejudice back home and French civilians. Unity and division rippled across politics, religious factions and social welfare, sometimes sparking dissent
and conflict.
Lovgren drew attention to the midinettes, unsung working-class French seamstresses at high fashion houses who went on strike as the war disrupted the industry. Young girls and women fought and won their battle for fair wages, garnered fellow workers’ support and influenced a somber utilitarian wartime dress style that trended worldwide.
Truly experiential from interactive audio stations to artifacts, “Paris at War” illuminates how the war changed people, cultures and a city. Acknowledged are the decisions by victors to divide spoils and reshuffle colonial territory, keeping true independence elusive for millions of people struggling on the distant doorstep of Europe.
For the 2026 FIFA World Cup fans who converge in Kansas City, “Paris at War” will showcase our city’s dedication to arts and culture at the highest level. The exhibit offers opportunity for cross-cultural engagement with and reflection about our nation’s collective past, both for far-flung visitors and American citizens.
“Paris at War” continues at The National WWI Museum and Memorial, 2 Memorial Dr., through summer 2027. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday-Monday from Labor Day to Memorial Day; summer hours differ. For tickets and more details, visit www.theworldwar.org.
