CHAMPIONNES !
A history of women's sport between
the two World Wars.
A Roger-Viollet x L'Équipe collaboration
Labelled by Paris 2024 as Cultural Olympiad
The history of women’s sport between the two world wars reveals the changing place of women in society.
This exhibition shows 87 previously unseen photographs from the Roger-Viollet collections and the archives of the Excelsior newspaper (owned by L’Équipe). It even takes place outside the walls of the Galerie, with 20 large-format photographs exhibited outdoors, opposite the Galerie Roger-Viollet, on the gates of Square Gabriel Pierné.
Prints in a limited edition of… 24 numbered copies.
The Dick-Kerr's Ladies English team, at the France-England women's soccer game (1-1) at the Pershing Stadium. Paris, 30 October 1920.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
60x40 cm print.
Departure of the 14 swimmers in the Crossing of Paris by swim for the France Long Distance Championship and the Petit Parisien Cup. Paris, 26 August 1923.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
40x50 cm print.
For a long time, high-performance sport was reserved exclusively for men. In the 1920s, it was a real challenge for women to take up athletics or football. These new athletes brought about a revolution in this exclusively male, conservative and often misogynistic world. These women have grasped the emancipating nature of sport. By encouraging it, heading up women’s associations and setting up international organizations to multiply the number of competitions, they attracted the press to their new records and the public to their sport.
At every stage, they tried to escape the male tutelage that governed the sport. They fought against the idea of the "weaker sex" and the medical arguments that prevented them from jumping, running, throwing… like men. Pioneers of competitive sport, many of them have been forgotten, but their exploits and determination have paved the way for today’s sportswomen.
Archery lesson. France, November 1923.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
50x40 cm print.
The Desvage tandem team at a Paris-Bordeaux bicycle race. May 1927.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
60x40 cm print.
Lucile Ellerbe Godbold carries the USA flag at the opening ceremony of the 1st Women's Athletics Olympiad, at Pershing Stadium. Paris, 20 August 1922.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
50x40 cm print.
Madame Cousin, winner of the Grand Prix de Clôture, on the Croix de Berny road. Versailles, 7 October 1923.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
50x40 cm print.
Juliette Curé at the Crossing of Paris by swim. Paris, July 1913.
Photo Maurice-Louis Branger
40x50 cm print.
Thérèse Brulé wins the 80m race at the Women's Athletes' Day at the Brancion Stadium. Paris, 15 July 1917.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
24x30 cm print.
Danish gymnasts during the Physical Education Congress at the Palais des Sports. Paris, March 1913.
Photo Maurice-Louis Branger
30x40 cm print.
Jeanne Janiaud, shot put champion (15.63m), at the France Athletics Championships, at the Elisabeth Stadium. Paris, 11 July 1920.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
40x50 cm print.
Thérèse Brulé wins the jumping championship at the Women's Athletes' Day, at the Brancion Stadium. Paris, 15 July 1917.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
60x50 cm print.
At the start of the 300m freestyle at the Antwerp Olympic Games. Antwerp, 1920.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
40x30 cm print.
Gymnastics demonstration at the opening ceremony of the Antwerp Olympic Games. Antwerp, 14 August 1920.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
40x30 cm print.
Aileen Riggin becomes the youngest gold medallist in USA history at the Antwerp Olympic Games. Antwerp, 1920.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
50x40 cm print.
Lucie Bréard (finishes ahead of Georgette Lenoir in the 1,000m race at the 1st Women's Athletics Olympiad, at the Pershing Stadium. Paris, 3 September 1922.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
50x40 cm print.
Georgette Lenoir finishes behind Lucie Bréard in the 1,000m race at the 1st Women's Athletics Olympiad, at the Pershing Stadium. Paris, 20 August 1922.
Photo Maurice-Louis Branger
50x40 cm print.
Nancy Voorhees wins the high jump event (tied with Hilda Hatt) at the 1st Women's Athletics Olympiad, at Pershing Stadium. Paris, 22 August 1922.
Photo Maurice-Louis Branger
40x30 cm print.
Parade of the British delegation at the opening ceremony of the 1st Women's Athletics Olympiad at Pershing Stadium. Paris, 20 August 1922.
Photo Maurice-Louis Branger
40x30 cm print.
Daisy Wright, 3rd place in the javelin throw at the Paris Athletics Championships, at Pershing Stadium. Paris, 30 October 1921.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
30x40 cm print.
Ivy Lowman wins the 60m pentathlon final at the 2nd Women's Athletics Olympiad. Monte-Carlo, 14-24 April 1922.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
40x30 cm print.
Marcelle Neveu leads the 800m race at the 3rd Women's Athletics Olympiad. Monte-Carlo, 4-7 April 1923.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
40x30 cm print.
Victory for Ivy Lowman, right, in the 65m hurdles race at the III Women's Athletics Olympiad. Monte-Carlo, 4-7 April 1923.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
50x40 cm print.
A swimming event at the 2nd Women's Athletics Olympiad. Monte-Carlo, 14-24 April 1922.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
30x24 cm print.
Mary Lines wins the long jump at the 2nd Women's Athletics Olympiad. Monte-Carlo, 14-24 April 1922.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
40x30 cm print.
"The openwork top trend" at the women's cycling Grand Prix de Clôture. Versailles, 7 October 1923.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
40x50 cm print.
Germaine Delapierre, right, at the start of a relay at Pershing Stadium. Paris, 26 September 1920.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
30x40 cm print.
Carmen Pomiès wins the javelin event (32.17m) at Pershing Stadium. Paris, 26 September 1920.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
40x50 cm print.
Thérèse Brulé,champion in the high jump with run-up (1.33m) at the France Athletics Championships, at the Elisabeth Stadium. Paris, 11 July 1920.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
40x30 cm print.
Marcelle Neveu at the footbridge of the L'Auto newspaper women's cross-country championship. Le Bourget, 1922.
Photo Maurice-Louis Branger
50x40 cm print.
Louise Lenormand dives at the Tourelles pool. Paris, 10 August 1924.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
40x50 cm print.
Thérèse Laloz, left, wins the 83m hurdles race at the Women's Paris Athletics Championships. Paris, 21 June 1927.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
40x30 cm print.
Georgette Lenoir wins the 1,000m middle-distance race at the Paris Athletics Championships at the Electro-Mécanique Stadium. Le Bourget, 6 July 1924.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
40x30 cm print.
Start of the 1000m race at the Paris Women's Athletics Championships at the Elisabeth Stadium. Paris, 17 June 1923.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
40x30 cm print.
Finish of the 80m race at the Women's Paris Athletics Championships, at Pershing Stadium. Paris, 29 April 1923.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
40x30 cm print.
Madame Cousin in front of Madame Robertson on the Croix de Berny road at the Grand Prix de Clôture. Versailles, 7 October 1923.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
50x40 cm print.
Aileen Riggin at the Tourelles pool during the 1924 Paris Olympic Games. Paris, 1924.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
24x30 cm print.
Marcelle Neveu, cross-country winner of the French Women's Championship. Meudon, 23 March 1924.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
24x30 cm print.
Suzanne Wurtz wins the Crossing of Paris by swim. Paris, 25 July 1920.
Photo Maurice-Louis Branger
24x30 cm print.
Alice Milliat, President of the Organizing Committee of the 3rd Women's Olympiad in Prague. 1930.
Photo Albert Harlingue
18x24 cm print.
Alice Milliat (1884-1957) is the first women's world sports leader. A keen sportswoman, she practices rowing at a high level and has also tried swimming and field hockey.
She became President of the Fémina-Sport club in 1915 and was one of the founders of the Fédération des Sociétés Féminines Sportives de France in 1917, and became its President in 1919.
Confronted with the inertia of sports federations in including women in the sport sphere, Alice Milliat thought bigger and founded the International Women's Sports Federation in 1921.
(Source: Fondation Alice Milliat)
Simone Thion de la Chaume wins the Coupe Fémina. Saint-Cloud, 15 May 1924.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
40x30 cm print.
Suzanne Lenglen wins the World Tennis Championship on clay-court at the Stade Français in Saint-Cloud. Saint-Cloud, June 1921.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
40x30 cm print.
Victory for Ivy Lowman in the high jump (1.47m) at the 3rd Women's Athletics Olympiad. Monte-Carlo, 4-7 April 1923.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
60x50 cm print.
Francesca Pianzola wins the javelin throw event (43.24m) at the 1st Women's Athletics Olympiad, at Pershing Stadium. Paris, 20 August 1922.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
30x40 cm print.
Camille Sabie wins the run-upless long jump at the 1st Women's Athletics Olympiad at Pershing Stadium. Paris, 20 August 1922.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
50x40 cm print.
Lucile Ellerbe Godbold shot put gold medalist, breaks the World record at the 1st Women's Athletics Olympiad, at Pershing Stadium. Paris, 20 August 1922.
Photo Maurice-Louis Branger
24x30 cm print.
Germaine Delapierre, Suzanne Liébrard, Lucie Bréard and Thérèse Brulé at the 8th Fémina Sport athletics festival at the Elisabeth Stadium. Paris, 3 October 1920.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
40x30 cm print.
Suzanne Porte, winner of the Challenge Shackleton women's cross-country race. Saint Cloud, 23 January 1921.
Photo Journal Excelsior
60x80 cm print.
Spectators at the France-England women's soccer game (1-1) at the Pershing Stadium. Paris, 30 October 1920.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
24x30 cm print.
The French women's soccer team at the France-England game (1-1) at the Pershing Stadium. Paris, 30 October 1920.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
24x30 cm print.
The Dick-Kerr's Ladies English team and the French team in a women's soccer game (1-1) at the Pershing Stadium. Paris, 30 October 1920.
Photo Journal Excelsior
24x30 cm print.
The Cadettes beat The Muguettes (2-0) in the final pool of the French Women's Soccer Championship. Charenton, 20 March 1927.
Photo Journal Excelsior
24x30 cm print.
La Ruche Sportive qualifies for the final of the "La Française" women's soccer cup, against Femina Sport, at the Pershing Stadium. Paris, 11 February 1923.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
24x30 cm print.
The Ruche Sportive takes on Femina Sport (10-0) in a basketball game at the Elisabeth Stadium. Paris, 21 March 1920.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
40x30 cm print.
Basketball game between France and Luxembourg (22-5) at the Pelleport Stadium. Paris, 20 November 1927.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
50x40 cm print.
Victory for Femina Sport over the Cadettes de Gascogne in a Barette game at the Elisabeth Stadium. Paris, 18 November 1923.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
40x30 cm print.
Victory of Femina Sport (in white) over the Hirondelles (39-3) in the final of the Barette championship at the Elisabeth Stadium. Paris, 6 March 1927.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
50x40 cm print.
Hazena game between France and Czechoslovakia at the Pershing Stadium. Paris, 14 September 1924.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
40x30 cm print.
Victory of the USA over France (7-4) in a field hockey game at the Paris Université Club of the Porte Dorée. Paris, March 13, 1924.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
50x40 cm print.
Women's Pushball game at the Elisabeth Stadium. Paris, 26 September 1920.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
40x30 cm print.
Federal Women's Gymnastics festival preceding the 3rd Women's Athletics Olympiad. Monte-Carlo, 1-2 April 1923.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
24x30 cm print.
Suzanne Lenglen, right, greets Helen Wills during the "Game of the Century" at the Hôtel Carlton. Cannes, 26 February 1926.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
40x30 cm print.
Spectators at the "Game of the Century" between Suzanne Lenglen and Helen Wills at the Hôtel Carlton. Cannes, 26 February 1926.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
30x40 cm print.
Archery lesson. France, November 1923.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
30x40 cm print.
Archery lesson. France, November 1923.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
30x40 cm print.
Suzanne Catherineau breaks the world rifle shooting record with 395 points out of 400. France, March 1926.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
30x40 cm print.
Pistol shooting lesson. France, November 1923.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
30x40 cm print.
Pistol shooting lesson. France, No - Le Miroir des Sportsvember 1923.
Photo Journal Excelsior
30x40 cm print.
International Foil Championship at Luna Park during the Great Civil Fencing Week. Paris, 2-9 June 1923.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
Start of the 200m breaststroke at the inauguration of the Tourelles pool. Paris, 8 June 1924.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
Basketball game between Italia and Czechoslovakia (15-13) at the 3rd Women's Athletics Olympiad. Monte-Carlo, 4-7 April 1923.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
Julie Vlasto and Suzanne Lenglen win the ladies' doubles at the French Tennis Open. Saint-Cloud, June 1925.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
Third day of the Paris Horse Show at the Champ-de-Mars. Paris, 1st May 1925.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
Women's Pushball game between Femina Sport and En Avant ! during the 8th Fémina Sport Club Festival at the Elisabeth Stadium. Paris, 3 October 1920.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
Georges Pouilley and Suzanne Wurtz are being filmed during the Crossing of Paris by swim. Paris, 25 July 1920.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
Germaine Delapierre, left, wins the 83m hurdles race at the France Athletics Championships in 14''45, at the Elisabeth Stadium. Paris, 11 July 1920.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
Mrs. and Mr. Persico at the 6th "La Polymultipliée" Championship. Chanteloup-les-Vignes, 27 April 1924.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
Two participants in a cyclo-pedestrian cross-country race. Bellevue, 8 February 1925.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
Before the start of the cross-country race for the 3rd French Women's Championship. Antony, 21 March 1920.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
Max Decugis and Suzanne Lenglen, left, win the gold medal over Kathleen "Kitty" McKane and Max Woosnam,at the Antwerp Olympics. Antwerp, 1920.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
Geneviève Laloz, Cécile Maugars, Germaine Delapierre, Frédérique Küsel, Lucie Bréard, Thérèse Brulé, Thérèse Laloz, Jeanne Janiaud at the France Athletics Championships, at the Elisabeth Stadium. Paris, 11 July 1920.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
The Racing Club de France field hockey team: Raudour, Loppe, Laurent, Bouhman, Pichon, De Croze, Peel, Don, Bron, Jalliot and Bohomohe. Paris, 5 January 1921.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
Suzanne Wurtz, Berthe Cady, Mrs. Mignoton, Mrs. Poulignon and Mrs. Mouginot at the Crossing of Paris by swim. Paris, 19 August 1923.
Photo Maurice-Louis Branger
The "Clodo", winning team of the Pélican-Sport women's cross-country race. Verrières, 30 January 1921.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
The Femina Sport team on the occasion of their game against the Academia team in the Women's Football Association Championship. Paris, 25 January 1920.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
International Foil Championship at Luna Park during the Great Civil Fencing Week. Paris, 2-9 June 1923.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
Suzanne Thuault, Eliane Robin and Jeanne Armouet at the Prix Maresches. Maresches, 4 October 1925.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports
En Avant! team, victorious over the Femina Sport team (1-0), at the Elisabeth Stadium. Paris, 21 March 1920.
Photo Journal Excelsior - Le Miroir des Sports