Although it may not seem that way today, Marseilles is one of the oldest cities in France and began life in 600BC when it was founded by a group of seafaring Greeks.

Marseille ushered in a second boom with the birth of the French Republic. The city witnessed a huge growth in manufacturing and industry during the 19th century and was boosted again with the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869.

During WWII, Marseille had the dubious distinction of being bombed by both the German and Italian forces in 1940 and the Allies three years later.

Badly damaged, much of the city was rebuilt in the 1950s, a project funded mainly by reparations from Germany. There was a marked increase in immigration from the 1950s onwards as the so-called Pieds Noirs fled the fighting in Algeria, which has contributed in large part to the colorful reputation Marseille now enjoys.

Here is a small collection of 19 incredible black and white photos that shows the daily life in Marseille during the 1950s.