Paris without People

There was something strange about the collection of Paris photographs I stumbled upon in the archives of the French national library today. The streets and buildings looked surprisingly familiar despite the photographs being over 150 year old, but where were all the people? Was this Paris’ great disappearance act of the 19th century? Alas, the…

10 Remarkable Things Hiding in the Attic

An attic is the ultimate guardian of secrets; a hiding place for all sorts of things disguised in the darkness and the dust– family history, forgotten treasure, architectural follies and perhaps a few skeletons in the closet? I thought it was about time we dedicated a brief compendium to the attic: the most mysterious and…

13 Things I Found on the Internet Today CCLXXXIII)

1. India’s Wedding Wagons Photographer Sameer Raichur’s “Chariots of Frolic” documents the cars used in Indian wedding processions. Found on Ignant. 2. E. Lillian Todd, the first woman to design and build her own aircraft, 1906 Found on Wikipedia. 3. Chinese Ghost Village Captured by Drone Videographer Joe Nafis has perfectly captured the rare charm…

Through the Lens of Egypt’s Early Bird Tourists

Here at MessyNessyChic, I try to take you on a journey with me every time you visit our corner of the internet. And for today’s journey, I’ve decided we shall go to Egypt– a century back in time, that is. Picnicking in the temples of Luxor, clambering up the pyramids of Giza for afternoon tea…

Rooftops of Paris at Twilight (and other Fairytales)

You know that feeling when you see an image so appealing to your senses that you just want to climb inside right then and there? That’s what the art of Russian painter Evgeny Lushpin does. I want to be standing on that rooftop at twilight; with the warm glow of home on my back and the cool…

Wandering Through the Oldest (and Emptiest) Hospital in Paris

Notre Dame has a very unusual neighbour that no one ever visits. If you’re facing the cathedral’s famous facade, surrounded by a sea of tourists and selfie-sticks, turn to your left and spot the blue door behind the chestnut trees, marked “Entrée“. And enter you must! This blue portal opens up to the Hôtel Dieu, Paris’…

When Paris Built the Greatest Show on Earth

Forget the Olympics. Forget PT Barnum’s legendary spectacles. It was Paris, in my opinion that wins the prize for putting on the greatest show on Earth. Photographs of the Universal Exposition of 1900 never cease to make my jaw drop. The unrecognisable monuments, the dazzling profusion of electric that earned it the title of “City of…

13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. CCLXXXII)

1. Frank Kunert’s Surrealist Miniatures His work is so good. Discover it all here (also find prints for sale). 2. How Medieval Churches will Improve England’s Wi-fi As part of an initiative to improve internet access in rural stretches of England, churches in remote areas will be outfitted with Wi-Fi connectivity. Following an agreement…

A Postcard from London

I‘d stayed away too long. I was born and bred in London and yet, I left the city that raised me without a second thought, a sudden and swift and cold-hearted break. Seven years passed, we had fleeting reunions, but I’d found a new love – Paris – and there wasn’t enough room in my heart for…

Fixer Upper of the Week: A Ghost Hamlet in Salem

The memories of this place are hiding in the warm breeze and the peeling paint. Happier times are somewhere in the reflection of the glass windows and the creaking door speaks of the stories that have passed through it. At one time in my life, I want to be the person that brings back the…