Tag Archives: Drouot auction house

The Emperor, the cabaret of women, an ill-advised gift, and the porcelain painter

Opinion is divided as to whether Napoleon Bonaparte was a tyrant or a genius, or both. But perhaps we can all agree that he left something to be desired as a husband. His divorce from his beloved Josephine de Beauharnais … Continue reading

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The strange case of the disappearing hotel

Norman recently bought, sight unseen, a shoebox of French postcards from a man in Winnipeg. Among them was a series of images from a Paris hotel called the St-James and Albany. They set me off on a hunt that led … Continue reading

Posted in Paris history, Paris hotels, Paris postcards | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments