The population of Paris was 1,851,792 in 1872, at the beginning the Belle Époque. By 1911, it reached 2,888,107, higher than the population today. Three major new French industries were born in and around Paris at about the turn of the 20th century, taking advantage of the abundance of skilled engineers and technicians and financing from Paris banks. They produced the first French automobiles, aircraft, and motion pictures. In 1898, Louis Renault and his brother Marcel built their first automobile and founded a new company to produce them. They established their first factory at Boulogne-Billancourt, just outside the city, and made the first French truck in 1906. In 1908, they built 3,595 cars, making them the largest car manufacturer in France. They also received an important contract to make taxicabs for the largest Paris taxi company. When the first World War began in 1914, the Renault taxis of Paris were mobilized to carry French soldiers to the front at the First Battle of the Marne.
Vintage: Paris in the Belle Époque (1871 to 1914)
Vintage: Paris in the Belle Époque (1871 to 1914)
Vintage: Paris in the Belle Époque (1871 to 1914)
Vintage: Paris in the Belle Époque (1871 to 1914)
Vintage: Paris in the Belle Époque (1871 to 1914)
Vintage: Paris in the Belle Époque (1871 to 1914)
Vintage: Paris in the Belle Époque (1871 to 1914)
Vintage: Paris in the Belle Époque (1871 to 1914)
Vintage: Paris in the Belle Époque (1871 to 1914)
Vintage: Paris in the Belle Époque (1871 to 1914)
Vintage: Paris in the Belle Époque (1871 to 1914)
Vintage: Paris in the Belle Époque (1871 to 1914)
Vintage: Paris in the Belle Époque (1871 to 1914)
Vintage: Paris in the Belle Époque (1871 to 1914)
Vintage: Paris in the Belle Époque (1871 to 1914)
Vintage: Paris in the Belle Époque (1871 to 1914)
Vintage: Paris in the Belle Époque (1871 to 1914)
