A neon sign shaped like an arrow hangs above a café terrace. In his views of Paris, Jahan composes with the signs, shop windows, and artificial lighting that flourished in 1930s Paris to capture the dynamism of the modern city.After settling in Paris in 1933, Pierre Jahan met Emmanuel Sougez, then director of photography for 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, taking pictures of Paris at night.