Pierre Jamet's 1936 Photos of French Paid Leave at Les Amies Rouges

In June 1936, following the Front Populaire's victory, Léon Blum's government granted French workers their first two weeks of paid vacation. Pierre Jamet, a 26-year-old photographer from Saint-Quentin, captured the resulting joy: young people discovering the sea, mountains, and campfires, all in black-and-white images full of laughter and sunlight. Ninety years later, Galerie Les Amies Rouges presents 'Y'a d'la joie !'—a title borrowed from Charles Trenet's contemporary song—to honor this social milestone. Jamet, who later sang with the vocal quartet Les Quatre Barbus, is remembered not just as a photographer but as a participant in the scenes he documented. The exhibition runs until July 4, 2026, at 10 rue Domat, Paris 5th, with free entry.