Ireland's Easter Rising in France's Le Monde illustré

Le Monde illustré was the leading French illustrated weekly news magazine of the late 19th and early 20th century. It began publication in 1857 and was similar in style to The Illustrated London News, which was the world's first illustrated news magazine. By 1916, Le Monde illustré ran to 14 pages and cost 60 centimes. The format normally consisted of a mix of full page illustrations, a selection of several different illustrations grouped together and text articles.

Ireland's Easter Rising was covered on several occasions in the news magazine, beginning on 6 May 1916 and again on the following two weeks, 13 May 1916, 20 May 1916. In much of the French press at the time, the rising was portrayed simply as a German inspired plot to attack France's ally, Great Britain, and not as a push for Irish independence. The Germans are mentioned frequently in the coverage and Roger Casement, the man who uncovered large scale human rights abuses in the Belgian Congo, was labeled a traitor.

Le Monde illustré, 6 May 1916. Source: Gallica BnF.

Le Monde illustré, 13 May 1916. Source: Gallica BnF.

Le Monde illustré, 20 May 1916. Source Gallica BnF.

Gallica is the digital library of the Bibliothèque nationale de France [French National Library]. It contains a wealth of material including books, newspapers, magazines, photographs, letters, manuscripts and sound recordings. Here, you can search 58 years of Le Monde illustré - http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb32818319d/date