Abstract
Examination of French historical works of the late 19th and early 20th centuries shows that they reflected the professionalization and specialization of the era and produced an image of history that is still useful for comparison with works of other epochs. The literature includes works on methodology, dictionary and encyclopedia entries, proceedings of conferences and lectures, occasional writings, and interdisciplinary inquiries. It is evident in these works that complex images of history were replacing the "history-as-significant-events" approach.