A spectacularly opulent relic of royal wealth and power comes alive in “Versailles” a new book by Valérie Bajou, who is a curator at the Château de Versailles and is a renowned specialist of French painting in the 19th century.
Highlighting the château’s vibrant, tumultuous past, the book covers everything from its metamorphosis from humble hunting lodge to palace, to the dismantling of its collections during the French Revolution and its restoration and status as a UNESCO World Heritage site today. In addition, the singular château is explored from top to bottom in an extravagantly extensive photographic tour that reveals the many priceless artistic and architectural treasures of this palace of palaces.
Visual Editions has republished or in their words “re-imagined” a classic by French novelist Marc Saporta (1923-2009). The new edition includes an introduction by Tom Uglow and drawings by Salvador Plascencia.
Flat Hunter
Finding a place to hang your hat in Paris
Paris’ Musée Carnavalet, devoted to all things Parisian, hosts an exhibition of 230 photographs by the legendary documentary photographer Eugène Atget (until July 29, 2012). This exceptional exhibition of Atjet prints, glass negatives and albums made between 1898 and 1927 brings together collections from the Carnavalet Museum, supplemented by Atjet photos purchased by Man Ray currently at the George Eastman House in Rochester and pictures from the Madrid Fundacion Mapfre collection. 
A Paris retrospective exhibition (until June 17, 2012) revisits the provocative, erotically charged photos of the German-Australian fashion photographer Helmut Newton. His pictures, marked by erotic, stylized scenes, often with sado-masochistic subtexts appearing in such magazines as Vogue and Harper’s Bazar, redefined fashion photography. 
Documentary photographer Berenice Abbott (1898-1991), best known for her black and white photographs of New York City architecture, is featured with a retrospective exhibition of her work at Paris’ Jeu de Paume. With over 120 black and white photographs, plus a selection of books and documents never shown before, this is the first exhibition in France to cover the many aspects of her work. 
“Paris-Chien: adventures of an ex-pat dog,” a charming and engaging new book by Jackie Clark Mancuso, tells the tale of a Norwich Terrier’s year in Paris. From home sickness to French lessons to the struggle to make Parisian friends this book carries a message for children about how to cope with change in their lives. With a number of French words in the text, the book is a light intro to the language. Illustrated with colorful gouache paintings of Paris streets, parks, markets and cafes, the story will entertain children (and adults) who like dogs and Paris. “Paris-Chien” is Mancuso’s first book. You can visit her illustration website at 