At an exposition currently running at the Paris City Hall Library, a 1940's-era photo shows three impeccably dressed women on a sunny Paris cafe terrace, all donning sunglasses and beaming with contentment. The catch? The photo was taken by a photographer appointed by the Nazi occupation government to show how happy Parisians were under German occupation. Controversy broke out recently over the exhibit, which runs through July 1, because the curators initially refrained from stating that the 250 photos on display were taken as part of a Nazi propaganda campaign. This was considered by some as all the more unsettling as the exhibit is being held right at the border of one of Paris' historically Jewish neighborhoods, the Marais district.

More historical context has since been added to the show, which has already drawn thousands of visitors and provides a fascinating glimpse into the mechanisms of propaganda.

Go Further:

• April Events in Paris
• Paris History in Brief