Carotte tabac, a symbol of French culture

This street photography project takes a closer look at a humble yet iconic symbol of French life: the carotte tabac. Officially called the carotte rouge (red carrot), this emblem has marked Bureaux de Tabac—France's specialist tobacco shops—since 1906. Though the signs today are often elongated diamonds in a bright red hue, the "carrot" shape likely traces back to the 17th and 18th centuries when chewing tobacco was sold in rolls of compressed leaves that resembled a carrot. This distinctive symbol has evolved in colour and form over the years, yet it remains a constant presence across French streets.