Very unique photos all around. However, if you really wanna see a different side of France, try visiting the French Caribbean. It's like France but better
I went twice when I was a kid, because my dad had a teaching job there and I got to visit him. Years later, age 24, I had an 8 hr stopover in Paris, giving me just enough time for about 3 hrs to explore on my own. I would LOVE to go back, on my own, and just wander aimlessly for a whole week or so!
My version of that was a 7 hour layover in Memphis and a visit to Graceland, which I'm glad I saw anyway. Used to be nice to be able to just leave the airport for a while then come back in time for your flight.
I once had a crummy layover at Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris because of a broken plane. The airline put us up in the French version of Motel 6. Even their shittiest motel open was....insanely good. We got a free buffet at the motel that was some of the best food I ever had.
Get it. We had great layover hotels 🏨 n town but the occasional airport place in Roissy, small town with nothing much but a/p stuff. Great little town. A handful of good restaurants etc.
Meanwhile, the French passengers were complaining about the "bad" food and "low-grade" motel (Hotel Ibis, very cheap French chain). I was like, "Are you kidding? This is amazing! The French version of "no-frills" definitely is not the American version.
I just thought of something. There COULD be people on the streets, bustling around, but they were moving too fast for the camera to catch them. The horses waiting patiently at the curb were stationary so they showed up on the film. Early photography's exposure-time was often several minutes.
I’m no world traveler but I’ve been to both London and Paris and I now know why they hate each other. Its stems from the UK’s jealousy over the ParisvsLondon debate. London is, fine. Paris is fantastic and just more exciting and vibrant. I cannot wait to go back to Paris
There were a LOT more flies b/c horses are not housebroken. Ever read about 1700/1800 London, and wondered about the street-sweepers? They were lower-class urchins who staked out a street corner and swept the road clean for upper-class Brits who didn't want to step in manure. Worked for tips.
If you love Atget’s photographs, we have American photographer, Berenice Abbott to thank for saving most of Atget’s archives and negatives. A fascinating story and worth learning about if you love the history of photography.
As a collector of French trunks, I can certainly appreciate the French photos. From the bottom to top Trunk makers Goyard , Moynat, Au Depart, Graeser,
Malle Elysee,
Malle Bernard all 1900s to 1915
Those are very probably made from bamboo -- household incidentals from the Orient were quite common in western Europe by then. I had some elderly relatives who had roll-up shades like that.
These are all wonderful. Had to geek out and looked upon the street names just to see and a pleasant surprise to see all the buildings still there, albeit modified. Amazing.
Always fascinating to see the long exposure make ghosts out of humans going about their daily business. Humans that have long since joined the ghosts of the past now.
Maybe because it never was like that in the first place. In the hands of a master/mistress artist photography [can] creates the illusion of a likeness, but never the thing itself. It's like going back to visit the suburb one grew up in many decades later and finding everything is so much smaller.
If you found this thread interesting I highly recommend The Other Paris by @luxante.bsky.social. Beautifully written with tons of photos. One of my most treasured books.
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Malle Elysee,
Malle Bernard all 1900s to 1915
Hit the heart for your trunks originally then saw the shades🥰.
Heck, I'd settle for a bamboo backscratcher, but I don't think they're being made any more.
I took a history of photography course as an undergrad, dutifully studied Atget, thought, "okay, nice," and moved on.
Then one day an a-ha moment looking at them again. Revelatory. Brilliant!
I love immersing myself in his photographs while giving Erik Satie a listen.