Mondes Tsiganes. A photographic history (1860-1980)

The mobile exhibition Mondes Tsiganes was taken from the temporary exhibition held at the Musée National de l’Histoire de l’Immigration in Paris in 2018. It helps to deconstruct negative images of populations viewed as foreign to the societies they live in, particularly in France.

Until January 2023, the Musée National de l’Histoire de l’Immigration is offering a travelling version of the exhibition Mondes Tsiganes, distributed by the Museum but also by its partners in France and worldwide.

Mondes Tsiganes explores the relationship between photography and Roms, Manouches and Kalé-Gitans, and how the many different images of these gipsy communities have crossed the history of the medium. Taking a detailed look at the many uses of photography, the exhibition shows the construction of stereotypes that these communities have often been victim of, presents another vision of Gipsies, and helps explain the origins of the discrimination that still exists to this day.

Visiteurs de foire derrière des décors peints, vers 1920 - 1930 © Musée national de l’histoire et des cultures de l’immigration

The exhibition questions images of gipsy communities portrayed through the photographic medium. Those images show the way in which these populations have been stereotyped and marginalised. Far from the cliché of the eternal foreigner, Gipsies are rooted in the regions. Their histories, costumes and cultures have blended with those of the countries they live in. Whether they are Roms, Manouches or Gitans, Gipsies have been an integral part of the history of France for centuries.

Objectives of Mondes Tsiganes: a photographic history (1860-1980)

The mobile exhibition presents a historical view of the control that gipsy populations have been subjected to, from the late 19th century to the present day, from administrative profiling to being locked up in concentration camps.
It provides a representative glance at the images through which these populations have been portrayed, creating imagery that is sometimes idealised, sometimes disturbing, but often reductive.
Lastly it testifies to the life styles of these populations in all their diversity, and shows how the latter have been impacted by the social and technical developments of the 20th century.

Carte portale de l’exposition des Tcherkesses caucasiens au Jardin d’acclimatation à Paris, 1913 © Collection privée

The exhibition is designed to be presented in multimedia libraries, academic establishments, cultural or social facilities run by regional authorities and non-profits. A set of education resources and mediation and communications tools are available to assist with organising the exhibition.