Illuminated Newsstand

A few Parisians are gathered around a newsstand, some reading the headlines in the windows, one leaning on the counter ready to buy a newspaper, another reading the magazine L’Illustration in front of the kiosk.

The scene takes place in the evening to emphasize the fact that the newsstand is illuminated from inside. This sort of stall was only beginning to emerge at the time. The company that built them received government approval, and kiosks quickly came to replace the makeshift shelters that newspaper sellers, who were required to remain in the same spot without being allowed to move around, had constructed to protect themselves from bad weather.

The caption reads in the original French: Kioskes lumineux. Nouveaux bureaux pour la vente des journaux sur les boulevards.