Christian Buisson, an expert on French local transport, has once again opened up his archives to compile a photo book on the situation of the remaining tram networks still in operation in his home country in 1960. The great ‘demise of the tram’ had already taken hold in France a bit earlier than in many of its neighbouring countries, and so by this point only 12 operations and a cross-border line from the German Saar region remained. Eleven years later, there were just three systems left, which were the only ones to survive until the reintroduction of the tramway system in a modern form in France, beginning in 1985.
Christian Buisson has been interested in transport since his youth, both personally and professionally, and has visited countless operations at home and abroad since the late 1950s. His high-quality and visually appealing photographs have illustrated various publications for many years and also form the basis of this book.
Each chapter briefly covers the history of the individual systems and their vehicles, including a route map, but otherwise the photographs in particular capture the atmosphere of the trams in their surroundings very well. Contemporary ambience, street scenes, cars, people on the streets, shops and advertising signs – all of this enriches the images and completes the picture: it allows us a glimpse into the everyday culture of past decades. Even enthusiasts and historians who are not very proficient in French will certainly find this book worthwhile.
A worthwhile addition to your book shelf at an attractive price!
Author: Christian Buisson
Publisher: Edition Sutton
192 pages, hardback, format 21 x 28 cm
approx. 400 photos, approx. half of which in colour
Price: €25.00
ISBN: 978-2-8138-1451-7
13.04.2026
