Tag Archives: bouquinistes

Eking out a living on the streets of Paris

Posted on November 2, 2014 by Parisian Fields

Paris has a reputation as a city of glitz and glamour. But in the early 20th century, beneath the glamour, many barely survived from day to day. In London, journalist and reformer Henry Mayhew had written a multi-volume study, London … Continue reading →

Posted in Paris history, Paris markets, Paris streets | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Going, going, gone

Posted on September 1, 2013 by Parisian Fields

In the 1850s, as the old Paris of narrow streets and ramshackle houses gave way to the broad boulevards and uniform apartment blocks planned by Napoleon III and carried out by Georges-Eugène Haussmann, Charles Baudelaire wrote an epitaph for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Paris bookstores, Paris shops | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

The bouquinistes and the photographer of shadows

Posted on April 15, 2012 by Parisian Fields

To quote from last week’s blog by Norman: “The sense of continuity is part of the fascination of learning more and more about Paris.” But it’s not just about the continuity of major monuments and landmark buildings. It’s also the … Continue reading →

Posted in Paris bookstores, Paris postcards | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

A mutable feast

Posted on August 27, 2010 by Parisian Fields

Last week, we were considering Paris in the 19th century, and how much has changed since then. But Paris is not just a moveable feast, it’s a mutable feast, and it has changed even since the 20th century. Think of … Continue reading →

Posted in Paris history, Paris nostalgia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments