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The Rebirth of Duvelleroy, Master Fan Maker Founded in 1827
Tucked away in a narrow street in Paris’s sleepy 7th arrondissement, a bright yellow storefront announces a shop unlike any other I’ve seen: Duvelleroy. Feathers, sequins, ribbons of all colors and shapes adorn the...
The Beautiful Spy: The Unsung Heroine of World War II
On a hot and humid July evening in 1944, Gestapo officers knocked on the door of Germaine Pezet, a Parisian housewife then living in Aix-en-Provence. They were on a mission to find whatever information...
Murder and Mystery in Paris: The Body in the Trunk
The trial of Gabrielle Bompard in December 1890 caused a sensation in Paris.
Despite being accused of the most heinous and brutal of crimes, the waif like, 4'8" Bombard captured the imagination of the crowds...
Stealing the Mona Lisa
In 1962 the Mona Lisa was valued at $100 million. In 2019, she was estimated to be worth a cool $2.67 billion. The highest selling picture to date is another painting by Leonardo da...
La Goulue: The Scandalous Cancan Queen who Inspired Toulouse-Lautrec
You only have a few weeks to re-discover the modernity of Toulouse-Lautrec in the tribute exhibition that the Grand Palais dedicates to the painter. Despite his noble origins, he was an outcast and felt...
Four Influential Feminist Women in French History
The French Revolution first proclaimed liberal and radical ideas and gave birth to the concept of feminism. However French women only gained the right to vote in 1944-- a step that came many years...
Streets and Stories: Rue Saint-Sulpice in Saint Germain-des-Près
You know what is the best thing about each and every street in Paris? No matter how short, even if it’s just a block, it holds a story waiting to be discovered. The Rue...
Degas at the Opera in Paris and Washington D.C.
The year 2019 marked the 350 anniversary of the National Paris Opera, founded as a royal institution in 1669, part of the Académie de Poésie et Musique under Louis XIV. The 17th century poet...
10 Lesser Known Facts about the Place des Vosges in Paris
One of the most quiet and romantic walks in Paris, a stroll around Place des Vosges is steeped in history and nostalgia. Once a glorious, regal square embodying the bold dreams of a great...
On the Trail of Sculptor Antoine Bourdelle in Montparnasse
When Antoine Bourdelle died in 1929 he had already designed the plans to turn his atelier situated at 16 Impasse du Maine (Montparnasse) into a museum. It took another 20 years and the dogged...
Lacloche Joailliers: An Homage to the Iconic Paris Jewelry House
While I know my Chaumet from my Cartier and my Bulgari from my Buccellati, I had never heard the name Lacloche until the opening of “Lacloche Joailliers”, the exhibition presented by Ecole of Jewellery...
Samuel Beckett: Waiting for Godot in Paris
The playwright Samuel Barclay Beckett was born in Ireland in Dublin on April 13th, 1906. He was to spend most of his life in Paris, doing most of his writing in French, before translating...
