Tag Archives: France

Oldest Bookseller in Paris, France

This image is of the small shops that lined the Seine in Paris, featuring a very old man who was known as the oldest bookseller, referring to his age and not the age of the books.

Editions d’art MONA, av. Victor-Emmanuel, Paris


The description states, in rough translation:
THE LITTLE TABLES
Quai Voltaire. The oldest bookseller of the quays. The poet bookseller Charles Dodeman.
The oldest bookseller.
–These sorts of stalls exist today along the Seine. Such sellers are known in French as “les Banquinistes”.
This postcard was used and is dated 25 July 1930.
 

Opera House and Square, Paris, France

This image shows the bustling activity in front of the Paris Opera House, formally known as the Palais Garner.

Les Édition d’Art “YVON”, Paris, 15, Rue Manet


The description states:
PARIS… en flanant
7 Place de l’Opera
— This building was constructed between 1861 and 1875, and has become famous from it being used as the centerpiece of the 1910 Gaston Leroux book “The Phantom of the Opera
This image likely dates from the 1930s.

Notre Dame de Paris, France

This image shows the world famous French Gothic cathedral known commonly as Notre Dame, though there are many such churches with this prefix world wide.

Les Édition d’Art “YVON”, Paris, 15, Rue Manet


The description states:
PARIS… en flanant
4 Notre-Dame
et le Square de l’Arrevêché
–The latter statement translates to ‘the square of the Archbishopric, so described since the cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Paris.
On 15 April 2019, workers performing maintenance on the roof of the cathedral ignited a fire that quickly spread out of control among the ‘forest’ of 600 year old timbers, completely consuming the roof and causing the 19th century spire to collapse, piercing the interior ceiling and crashing to the floor of the transept. 
Firefighters were able to extinguish the flames before the rest of the structure was engulfed or compromised, but the ceiling will now need extensive repair and the roof will have to be completely reconstructed.
This image likely dates from the 1930s.

Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

This image shows the iconic Eiffel Tower, located in Paris, France. When originally constructed, it was considered to be an eyesore, presumably because of it’s industrial style construction, but has since become the symbol of Paris more than any other object.

Les Édition d’Art “YVON”, Paris, 15, Rue Manet


The description states simply:
PARIS… en flanant
10 La Tour Eiffel
–There are elevators to take visitors up to the second level above ground, but beyond that ascending requires climbing a prodigious amount of stairs. At the summit all of central Paris is easily visible on a clear day.
This image likely dates from the 1930s.

Château d’If, Marseille Harbor, France

This image shows the world famous island location of Château d’If, the site of the events in the novel ‘The Count of Monte Cristo‘ by Alexandre Dumas. The work ‘if’ is the French word for the yew tree, once common on the now barren island.

Edition “La Cigogne” 18, rue Glandevés – MARSEILLE


There is no description on the back of the card. There are regular visits to the island from tours departing Marseille harbor, including both inside and outside the main structure as shown here.
This postcard was used, but the postmark is illegible. However, the stamp is still present and was originally released in 1937. Combined with the restrictions of war time tourist travel by 1940, this image likely dates from the 1930s.

Arc de Triomphe, Paris, France

This is an image of the famous Arc de Triomphe de l’Etoile, or the Triumphal Arch of the Star, as it stands in the center of a roundabout in the Champs-Élysées.

Le Éditions d’Art “YVON”, Paris 15, Rue Martel


The description on the back states:
PARIS… EN FLANANT
6   L’Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile
–The title means Paris…while strolling. The arch was built to commemorate the heroes of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. One unknown soldier from World War One is buried beneath the arch.
This image likely dates from the 1930s.