In celebration of the release of MessyNessyChic’s first book, “Don’t be a Tourist in Paris“, I’m dedicating today’s 13 Things to the city that inspired it all.
1. A French beekeeper makes Honey wine in the Paris catacombs
Mead, sometimes known as honey wine, is a mix of water and honey that, like wine, must be fermented in a cool, quiet place that is humid and perfectly still. Down in the catacombs, the humidity hovers around 90 percent and the walls and ceiling are damp to the touch.
Somewhere in that network — the exact location will remain a secret — is where Audric de Campeau’s mead is aging.
He also has bee hives on many of the best-known monuments in Paris, including the Musee D’Orsay and the Paris mint.
Found on PRI.org.]
2. Inside a 19th Century Paris Reservoir
Photo story via Le Monde. For more information about visiting the reservoir in English, I’ve got an article for that.
3. Farming at the Louvre, Paris
During the Nazi Occupation in 1941-43, the gardens of the palace of the Louvre in Paris planted with leeks in an attempt to counterbalance the lack of produce.
Found on Paris en Images.
4. A Miniature version of Hell, discovered by demolition workers in Paris
A crew of demolition workers in Paris discovered a mysterious wooden box hidden in the ruins of a condemned building. The box, which had been wrapped with old military belts, was found to contain a collection of photographs depicting a hedonistic world filled with drunken devils, sinister skeletons and scantily clad women.
An anonymous note found buried among the glass images added:
“This is the work of my life, it is thus that I dreamed of Hell. If my visions are true, then the wicked may rest assured, the afterlife will be sweet for them to bear.”
What the demolition workers discovered that day was a series of photographs known as Les Diableries, The Diabolical. Each scene in the series was composed of an elaborate diorama sculpted out of plaster and clay and embellished with miniature props. Created in Paris during the 1860s, the series was printed in the form of stereoscopic transparencies which, when viewed with special lenses, produced a mesmerizing 3D effect.
They were re-published in 1978, Diableries: La Vie Quotidienne Chez Satan More on Disinformation.
5. Calling cards of Parisian Prostitutes (1925-35)
Found on MilleXMille
6. Parisian Pin-Ups
Jean-Gabriel Domergue (1889 – 1962) was a French painter who specialised in portraits of Parisian women and claimed to be “the inventor of the pin-up”. In 1911, he was a winner of the Prix de Rome and also designed clothes for the couturier Paul Poiret.
From 1955 until 1962 he was the curator of the Musée Jacquemart-André, organising exhibitions of the works of Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, Goya and others. In 1938, he was a member of the jury for Miss France. He died 16 November 1962 on a Paris sidewalk.
Find more of his work on Galerie de Souzy.
7. Dancers of the Casino de Paris
The Casino de Paris is one of the most well known music halls of Paris, with a history dating back to the 18th century. Contrary to what the name might suggest, it is a performance venue, not a gambling house.
These hand-coloured postcards depict the accurate costumes and color of the famous theater. Patrons from around the world visit this establishment, and the influence of is extravagant costumes and topless dancers extends around the world.
Found via Candy Pingpong
8. Gymnase Saulnier, School for Acrobats in Paris, 1947
The front door is still there today, boarded up and lifeless. Le Père Saulnier was known as the “girls breaker” for being particularly strict with his students.
Hans Wild for LIFE Magazine.
9. Paris Shopkeepers
The beauty of Paris is more than its amazing museums and monuments. Ancient families of craftsman and young designers, food lovers and music addicts, even opticians and dry cleaners, display a unique savoir faire that adds creativity to everyday life. Their workshops, laboratories and boutiques tell a different tale of the city.
Amen.
Photo story by Sebastien Erras.
10. Pretend you’re working in a Parisian Café
A website that simulates the sounds of various work environments, including a Parisian cafe or a quiet restaurant. When you click the top left menu button you can also switch to or combine more soothing sounds such as a cosy fireplace, birds singing and a rainy terrace.
Try out Hipster Sound
11. Dancing on a Paris Rooftop
No further explanation found on the Gallica digital library © Agence Meurisse.
12. Paris’ first Medical Academy Amphitheatre was housed inside that Rotunda
Built in 1617, once at 13 rue de la Bûcherie. Bonus points for anyone that can find photos of it’s interior. Google hint: “première Académie de Médecine.”
Found on this very interesting forum of photos.
13. This is Eddie Murphy eating a steak frites off the back of a naked model somewhere in Paris in the 80’s. That is all, carry on.
Found here.
