#43: The Daily Grind on the Streets of Paris
Diverging from the often-idealized image of Paris, an early 1930s photograph offers a glimpse into the lives of the city’s rag collectors. The image captures a raw moment on a cobblestone street, featuring an elderly man and a young helper struggling to maneuver a loaded cart of rags.
These individuals were unsung sustainability heroes long before recycling became a global movement. Roaming Paris for unwanted textiles, their mission was more than cleaning up—their survival depended on repurposing or selling these materials.