Paris bouquinistes (booksellers) in the art of engraving. The iconic bouquinistes (booksellers) along the river Seine in Paris have long been depicted in artwork and photography. “The booksellers of the quays of Paris in contemporary printmaking” (“Les bouquinistes des quais de Paris dans l’estampe contemporaine”) exhibition will be held in the Paris Town Hall ofContinue reading “Paris bouquinistes (booksellers) in the art of engraving”
Category Archives: Opal Hush
A puzzling fresco – the Tangram Building, Paris
A puzzling fresco – the Tangram Building, Paris. The Tangram Building in Paris is a building with a large, coloured fresco in enamelled glass, in the design of a tangram. A tangram is a puzzle consisting of flat polygons, called tans, which are constructed to form shapes. The tans are used to create minimalist designs that are: ‘eitherContinue reading “A puzzling fresco – the Tangram Building, Paris”
The Eiffel Tower in 2022: older and taller
The Eiffel Tower in 2022: older and taller. The Eiffel Tower in Paris turned 133 years-old on 31 March 2022. It grew older, but also taller. On 15 March 2022, with the installation of a new digital terrestrial TDF radio antenna, Eiffel Tower grew by 6 metres (20 feet), making it now 330 metres (1,083Continue reading “The Eiffel Tower in 2022: older and taller”
Why Parisians adore Josephine Baker
Why Parisians adore Josephine Baker. Why is Josephine Baker still so revered in Paris? American-born Freda Josephine McDonald (1906-1975) married her second husband, entertainer William Howard Baker, in 1921 when she was fifteen years old, keeping his name for life, despite her subsequent marriages. She first arrived in Paris in 1925 at the age ofContinue reading “Why Parisians adore Josephine Baker”
Rue Delambre and the plaques of Gauguin, Breton, and Hemingway
Rue Delambre and the plaques of Gauguin, Breton, and Hemingway. Paul Gauguin, André Breton, and Maurice Le Scouezec are just three famous celebrities who stayed in the Hotel Delambre in the 14th arrondissement of Paris. People know this by the three gold plaques, not on the façade, but in the entranceway hidden from view. Paul GauguinContinue reading “Rue Delambre and the plaques of Gauguin, Breton, and Hemingway”
The Writing on the Wall – Rimbaud and his Drunken Boat – delicious jam for good poets!
The Writing on the Wall – Rimbaud and his Drunken Boat – delicious jam for good poets! The writing on the wall is impressive, poetic, and emotive – for all to see, to read, and to enjoy. It is a poem bearing ‘delicious jam for good poets.’ Rue Henry-de-Jouvenel is a street in the 6th arrondissementContinue reading “The Writing on the Wall – Rimbaud and his Drunken Boat – delicious jam for good poets!”
Not everyone wants a facelift – especially La Comedie Italienne theatre
Not everyone wants a facelift – especially La Comedie Italienne theatre. The “Comédie Italienne” (Italian Comedy) theatre in Rue de la Gaîté, Paris, in the 14th arrondissement is about to have an unwanted facelift – or, in this case, a façade-lift. The Comédie Italienne is the only Italian theatre in France. It has a distinctive,Continue reading “Not everyone wants a facelift – especially La Comedie Italienne theatre”
Hotel de Sens, Paris – not as it seems
Hotel de Sens, Paris – not as it seems. The Hotel de Sens in the 4th arrondissement of Marais in Paris, France, is not as it seems. It is not a hotel. The Hotel de Sens is a medieval mansion that now holds the Forney Art Library. It was built as a hotel in 1345 forContinue reading “Hotel de Sens, Paris – not as it seems”
La Rotonde renovations, June 2020 – still a sign of the times
La Rotonde renovations, June 2020 – still a sign of the times. There is no direct mention of James Joyce visiting La Rotonde brasserie on the Boulevard du Montparnasse, nor is it mentioned in any of his books. It is on the edge of the 6th arrondissement, where the 14th arrondissement begins. Facing La Rotonde isContinue reading “La Rotonde renovations, June 2020 – still a sign of the times”
Paris Left Breathless – The Beatles and Club Castel in 1965
Paris Left Breathless – The Beatles and Club Castel in 1965. The famous Club Castel on rue Princesse (Princess Street) in Paris continues its nightclub tradition – but nowadays there is more emphasis on the bar and restaurant. Jean Castel established Castel in 1961 as a private nightclub for the rich and famous. It wasContinue reading “Paris Left Breathless – The Beatles and Club Castel in 1965”