Paris—one of the most photographed cities in the world—is viewed anew through the eyes of nine local youths who photographed what they consider to be their city's distinctive landmarks. Classic sites such as the Eiffel Tower and the Pyramid at the Louvre are interspersed with personal images, such as a photographer's mother over a traditional French breakfast.

The images, in combination with quotes from the young photographers, evoke ideas that challenge our conventional notions of landmarks and, at the same time, invite us to consider how we are marked by the communities in which we live.

The book contains a selection of provocative black-and-white prints culled from hundreds taken during the course of the project, along with short biographies and color images of each of the young photographers.

In 1993 the Getty Conservation Institute launched an international landmarks campaign with an exhibit of images by Los Angeles youths and an accompanying book on their hometown. The success of that undertaking prompted the GCI's Landmarks initiative, which has included projects in Cape Town, Mumbai (Bombay), and Mexico City.

128 pages, 10-1/2 x 8-1/2 inches
9 color and 77 b/w illustrations
ISBN 0-89236-503-x, paper, $19.95

"I grew up in Paris. People who destroy, who don't take care of Paris, destroy my memories and also my identity. To see the neighborhood where I grew up change would be like seeing a piece of my own history and of my childhood disappear."

—Jérémie Garnier, age 18
From Picture Paris.

To order this publication, go to the Getty Bookstore.