At the window of a building, a man in a vest and bow tie unfurls a French tricolor flag. With a striking composition, Jahan offers us his photographer's perspective on a national holiday whose historical context—the eve of the Second World War—gives it a particular resonance today.After settling in Paris in 1933, Pierre Jahan met Emmanuel Sougez, then director of the photographic department at the newspaper L’Illustration. It was on Sougez's advice that he decided to dedicate himself to photography professionally. At the same time, he worked as a freelance photographer, capturing images of Paris at night.