Old-Fashioned Corners Of Paris by Christophe Destournelles

Old-Fashioned Corners Of Paris by Christophe Destournelles

Here and there, if you know where to look, it still is possible to catch a glimpse of an almost-vanished Paris: a scene, an object, that somehow has miraculously survived decades, even centuries. Old-fashioned Pleasures of Paris is a small and exquisite catalog of these rarities.

Christophe Destournelles has discovered dozens of vintage "moments": confiseries, barbershops, glove shops; a bougnat (a café that traditionally also sold coal) a bouillion (a restaurant that originally served soup); hookah lounges, movie theatres, harness races, dive bars, and underground jazz clubs. He's found vintage photo booths, carousels, public scales, the last remaining pissoir. He's uncovered tiny establishments that quietly carry on with obscure trades: phonograph, radio, and clock repair; hand pressing; shoe polishing. Small details that would be easy to overlook are celebrated in all their everyday glory: the illuminated subway map, the café where the napkins of regulars are kept in a nook, the once-ubiquitous little stand of hardboiled eggs that once could be found on every zinc bar. Each of these spots, however humble, is worth a visit; even the routier, a restaurant that originally served truck drivers, is a visual feast, with its yellow formica counter, red and white checked napkins, and handwritten menu, antique café chairs, and vintage signage.
 
Lovers of Paris will be thrilled to know what streets are particularly beautiful when the snow falls, the history of old telephone exchanges, and where to find old-timers playing pétanque.  This is a book for visitors--addresses and phone numbers are listed for each venue--and armchair travelers who will be transported to another place and time by the sumptuous photographs. Literary quotations throughout add another layer of romance to this book that celebrates Paris past and present.

Christophe Destournelles is the author of Faire du vü¾Ž–”¼lo ü¾Œ†”¼ Paris and Ou trouver le calme ü¾Œ†”¼ Paris.

Christophe Lefü¾Ž–”¼bure, a graduate of the Institute d'Etudes Politiques de Paris with a master's degree in history, combines the qualities of a writer with those of a photographer. His first work, La France des lavoirs, received the Grand Prix Litteraire du Tourisme.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781936941100
ISBN 10	1936941104
Title	Old-Fashioned Corners Of Paris
Author	Christophe Destournelles
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Little Bookroom,U.S.
Year published	2014-05-06
Number of pages	194
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.