With his new book “A Passion for Paris” David Downie looks at how Paris got the reputation of being the world’s number one romantic city. The author informs the reader straight away that it will be a personal journey “I wonder if I knew on that first April morning that this would be it” says Downie. “I was stuck and could not leave, indeed would spend decades prowling the streets seeking Félix Nadar’s gallery of images… Did I realize I would lose myself in libraries, house museums and administrative offices…attempting to penetrate the secrets of what might well be the world’s most enigmatic, compelling, paradoxical, maddening yet seductive city?” “I must have had some inkling the first time I climbed the seven stories to my maid’s room…” Continue reading “A Passion for Paris”
Florence Henri, Mirror of the Avant-Garde
“What I want above all in photography is to compose the image as I do with paintings…” said Florence Henri in 1927. The American born Paris-based painter did just that as she turned her attention to photography that year after taking a summer course at Moholy-Nagy’s legendary Bauhaus. Continue reading “Florence Henri, Mirror of the Avant-Garde”
Unbuttoning Fashion
In the 17th century buttons were so precious that the kings of France attempted to regulate their number and use. Buttons meet fashion with an exhibition— Déboutonner la Mode—featuring over 3000 buttons from the amazing collection of Loic Allio at Paris’ Musée des Arts Décoratifs (to July 19, 2015). Continue reading “Unbuttoning Fashion”
Dealing with Reverse Culture Shock
Q Ten years ago, I met my French husband on a cruise and have been living in Paris almost ever since. We have a girl 6 and a boy 4. For the past two years we have been dreaming of living in California, and miraculously, my spouse has found a job in LA so we’re moving there in August. I’m really excited, but friends have been warning me to expect repatriation shock. Do you think this is something to worry about in our case? Continue reading “Dealing with Reverse Culture Shock”
Tea Time in Paris
Although Paris is known for its cafés it also has many cosy and elegant tearooms where you can pass an afternoon enjoying fine-quality tea with delicious cakes and pastries. While many people know about the city’s most famous tearooms such as the “Mariage Frères” and “Angelina’s,” there are also plenty of excellent lesser-known tearooms worth a visit. Here are some of our favorites: Continue reading “Tea Time in Paris”
Garry Winogrand Revisited
Paris’ Jeu de Paume is presenting a traveling retrospective of legendary American photographer Garry Winogrand (1928-1984) who chronicled America in the post war years. The first retrospective curated by John Szarkowsk took place in 1988 at the New York MOMA. Continue reading “Garry Winogrand Revisited”
Buying a Home (New) in France
A ‘new’ house is generally defined as one built in the last five years, which is also the legal definition. Although new properties may lack the charm and character of older buildings, they offer attractive financial and other advantages. Continue reading “Buying a Home (New) in France”
Paris Années Folles
The “Roaring Twenties” known in France as “Les Années Folles” was a golden period (1919-1929) with unprecedented economic prosperity, technological progress (automobiles, telephones, motion pictures, electricity) and creativity. Ernest Hemingway, Scott Fitzgerald, Henry Miller, John Dos Passos, Ezra Pound had established themselves in Paris where they rubbed shoulders with Montparnasses’ high flyers. Picasso, Modigliani, Soutine, Brancusi and Chagall all frequented the same cafes. Continue reading “Paris Années Folles”
Still Standing Tall
Did you hear the one about the lady who married the Eiffel Tower? No, really. Erika La Tour Eiffel had had other infatuations with objects, including Lance, the bow with which she became an archery champion, and the Berlin Wall. But, now in her late 30s, she tossed those over and promised to love, honor, and obey the tower in an intimate ceremony in Paris. She duly changed her name to reflect her marital status. A photo showed the smiling, comely newlywed hugging her riveted husband, who maintained a dignified reserve. Admittedly, said Erika, there is a bit of a problem in the marriage: “The issue of intimacy, or rather lack of it.” Continue reading “Still Standing Tall”
William Eggleston at Paris’ Fondation HCB
The exhibition “From Black and White to Color” at Paris’ Fondation Henri Cartier Bresson revisits William Eggleston’s early color classics along with lesser known black and white work (to December 21, 2014). In addition to vintage color dye transfer prints the exhibition includes one of Eggleston’s new large size digital prints. A print from this series “Memphis (Tricycle)” sold recently at a Christie’s auction for $578,500. The 2012 Christie’s auction sold 36 of Eggleston’s digital pigment prints fetching 5.9 million dollars. Continue reading “William Eggleston at Paris’ Fondation HCB”
On Becoming French
A “tres fun” book “90+ Ways You Know You’re Becoming French” delightfully captures some of the quirky things that make the French… French. People who have lived here awhile will get a chuckle recognizing themselves and how living in France has changed them.
This cute little book that fits in the palm of your hand was inspired by an article “20 Ways You Know You’re Becoming French” that originally appeared in FUSAC Magazine. The article was a big hit and inspired the author Shari Leslie Segal to make it into a book teaming up with publisher Lisa Vanden Bos and illustrator Judit Halász. Continue reading “On Becoming French”