Educational Platform - Charles De Gaulle Through the Eyes of Photographers

Inspired by the exhibition *Charles de Gaulle Through the Eyes of Photographers*, presented at the Institut pour la photographie in 2021, and developed in collaboration with the Charles de Gaulle Birthplace Museum, this educational tool is designed as a journey through the interpretation, analysis, and exploration of fourteen images taken between 1940 and 1970 by photojournalists, all of which contributed to the creation of a figure who became an icon.

Designed primarily for middle and high school students, their teachers, and anyone else interested, this tool aims to foster critical interpretation of photographic images. For each image, a selection of points guides you through its analysis, taking into account the context, the photographer, and the composition of the photograph in question.

Used by the press, the photographs presented here have contributed to the discussion about the staging of power. The photographers, themselves influenced by references that were at times stereotypical, captured the distinctive features—which have become iconic—of General de Gaulle’s personality and physical appearance. These images, which remain with us today, shape our memories. They have ultimately come to define—not a certain idea of France, but a certain idea of the man himself.

While General de Gaulle was initially just a voice with his appeal of June 18, 1940, his recognition as a figure of Free France was quickly embodied through images: From 1940 until the Liberation, photographers thus helped shape his reputation. They sought to capture the symbols of the liberator’s greatness in his poses and gestures—which have gone down in history—such as his speech at the microphone or the various poses with his arms raised.

this image is followed by that of the President, the first of the Fifth Republic. The distance de Gaulle established with photographers rarely allows one to look beyond the official image. In an attempt to offer a different perspective on power and its communication, the photographers play with the “mise en abyme” effect through the president’s likeness. The death of Charles de Gaulle on November 9, 1970, marked a shift in the image’s status, transforming it into a tool for forging the Gaullist myth.

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