Eugène Atget’s Street Trades (French: Petits Métiers) series forms a unique part of his broader Picturesque Paris (French: Paris Pittoresque) project. The term "Street Trades," while a common translation, does not fully capture the broader meaning of "métier" in French, which encompasses a wide range of occupations and professions beyond conventional trades. Photographed during a period of significant transformation in late 19th and early 20th century Paris, this series documents a disappearing way of life amid the sweeping modernization and urban renewal reshaping the city.
Atget’s photographs portray not only tradespeople but also other urban workers, such as street musicians and even prostitutes, highlighting the diverse spectrum of urban life in Paris at the time. While Atget often concentrated on architecture and urban spaces, Street Trades shifts focus to human subjects, whose livelihoods were increasingly marginalized by industrialization and modernization. The series provides an empathetic exploration of the dignity and identity of these workers, whose roles were integral to the social and economic fabric of the city.
Drawing from his own experiences as a struggling artist, Atget’s approach blends keen observation with subtle critique, depicting the tradespeople as both laborers and performers within the urban theater. His compositions often center the subjects, emphasizing their presence within the frame, while his use of natural light lends the images a quiet, contemplative quality. Utilizing a large-format wooden view camera and albumen printing techniques, Atget achieved a level of detail and tonal richness that accentuates the textures and nuances of his subjects and their surroundings.
Initially conceived as a practical resource for artists, Street Trades gained wider attention through institutional holdings and postcard publication, then was reinterpreted posthumously through Surrealist interest and Berenice Abbott’s advocacy. Early showings and monographs brought the series into critical discourse, and later museum acquisitions consolidated its presence.
