Songbooks
A large number of World War I popular songs expressed patriotism that was sometimes excessive. Some songs glorified soldiers' courage, while others encouraged civilian commitment to the cause or criticized the enemy. Other, subtler songs focused on the hardships that soldiers and their families endured. Songs were sold as leaflets in the street, occasionally with a musical score or a reference to a well-known tune that should accompany them. More elaborate song collections had illustrated covers, hundreds of which are housed in the Historical Library. We have assembled a collection of songs related to Parisians’ everyday life to illustrate the different chapters of the alphabet. Other songs can be found in a "songbook" assembled by Bertrand Dicale and recorded by the Radio France Choir.
