June 11, 2007

Lamp posts (Place de la Concorde)

A compulsory place to visit in Paris is of course La Place de la Concorde, originally designed by A-J Gabriel and created around 1760.

I guess you all know about the more than 3000 year old obelisk – still looking fresh - brought there from Luxor in Egypt in 1833. You probably also know that for a while the place first was named after Louis XV, then it became Place de la Révolution (you can guess when), then Place de la Concorde. Then for a short period it was named after Louis XVI and then, in 1830, it was again renamed Place de la Concorde. You certainly also know that the guillotine was installed there during some years (1793-94) for about 1300 executions, including those of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

Well, this was the introduction, but actually I wanted today to concentrate – at least image wise - only on the lamp posts which surround the place. These were placed there together with two fountains, statues etc. as a final decoration of the place, completed in 1846 with J-I Hittorff, who closely followed the original plans by Gabriel, as architect.

There are two major lamp posts, one at each side of the entry to Les Champs Elysées and I show you one of them more in detail, but there are also tens of a smaller model. These lamp posts were also the first ones in Paris to immediately be electrically lighted, when installed in 1844.

The original photos from the patchwork above can be found on my second blog, "Peter - photos".

31 comments:

Unknown said...

un dimanche bien utilisé à ce que je vois

Shionge said...

Nothing beats a day at Place de la Concorde :D

Anonymous said...

Thank you Peter!
You are my First visitor!
I didn't finish yeat my new template, but I'm so glad you "disturbed" me.
I'll be back in a few mints.

Kate said...

There is a richness to the photos that I don't think can be duplicated in many other places. A feast for the eyes! Wonderful set of photos, Peter!

Shammickite said...

Ah... those wonderfully ornate lamp posts could not be anywhere but Paris! I wish I was planning another trip to Paris soon, I enjoyed it so much the last time. However, for the present I shall enjoy it though your eyes!

krystyna said...

La Place de la Concorde - wow! Thanks for sharing this beauty.
You are great photographer and writer, Peter!
Best to you!

hpy said...

As you may know I'm back (thanks for lunch and champagne) and as you may also know, the reply to my blog contest is now published. Do you know - yes you do - if you are among the winners?

EMNM said...

As usual another interesting post, and very nice pictures.
Thanks

alice said...

"Les ors de la République"...

Cergie said...

J'aime beaucoup la place de la concorde et tout ce quartier
J'ai mangé parfois à la cantine de la Madeleine tenue par des dames patronnesses
Ce que j'aime est que la Concorde termine les Champs Elysées
Parfois nous venons lorsque nous avons des amis de province pour passer du 31 décembre au 1er janvier et nous descendons les champs à pieds pour reprendre le métro à Opéra
Encore un très beau message et de belles photos qui rendent encore une fois grâce au beau ciel de Paris

Cergie said...

Alors me revoilà Peter, suite à tES passages chez moi
J'allais à la cantine de la madeleine lorsque j'avais une amie qui travilllait dans le quartier
Elle a déménagé depuis hélas avec sa boîte !

Voici un lien que j'ai trouvé pour toi :

http://www.parisinfo.com/uploads/Pa/ris_petits_prix_8.pdf


Quant aux pavés, non je ne les arrache pas
A Berlin il y a des petits tas partout car ils sont tout le temps en travaux
A Pragues itou
Et ailleurs aussi.
Je prends des pavés déjà descellés par les légitimes "travautiers" (ou cantoniers ?)

Bonne journée, Peter les zyeux bleus

Olivier said...

la place de la concorde, une superbe place, avec des vues magnifiques, d'un cote la madeleine, de l'autre cote les champs elysées, le jardin des tuilleries, l'assemblée nationale, et si on va sur le pont entre la place et l'assemblée une superbe vue sur la tour eiffel et sur notre dame de paris. Un tres bel endroit. Comme l'amie cergie j'aime bien partir des champs elysées et descendre vers la place de la concorde, apres traverser les jardins des tuilleries, passer le louvre, et arriver sur la superbe "église Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois"

Dina said...

These photos are very much rich looking but also one can see the french design of that era.

Anonymous said...

Peter, thanks for stopping and commenting. I like your photos here and wonder about the history of your city. You seem to have it down well. Like a history teacher.

Baby raccoons. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.
Brookville Daily Photo

Anonymous said...

I think these lamp posts are very hard to photograph well, and you've done them great justice. The details really pop. I love this square, I just wish there weren't so many tourist buses all the time (which you managed to avoid beautifully). But they know a good thing, eh? I was trying to find the name of that fountain in the last year, and I didn't find it. Do you know?

Peter said...

hpy:
The lunch restaurant could have been better, but it was really nice to meet you after so many years!! Your portrait when leaving is under "Closed (one day)" (June 10).

cergie:
Merci pour l'adresse; j'ai vu "Le Foyer" à la Madeleine. Je vais essayer un jour!

ruth:
Actually there are two fountains. They are called "fountain of the rivers" and "fountains of the oceans" (in translation). Actually, the place is quite "marine". One of the two main buildings at one end of the place is the "Marine Ministry" (the other one houses Hotel Crillon and Atomobile Club de France). There are a number of sculptures around the place, representing the different French ports.

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Peter! I was asking about the one with the black figures that sits at the foot of the street leading to the Madeleine. Is that the oceans one?

Peter said...

Yes, but they are both very similar in colours and design.

Mona said...

Ah! such beauty in streets!

You show me the world of beauty!

Thank you for the visuals Peter! I love your place!

Chuckeroon said...

Tks for dropping in at the weekend. FYI..I used to "navigate" a bit, but no more.

Fine lamp post....good exposure.

Keep well, til later.

Ash said...

Beautiful lamppost.

Ash said...

Ornate work and detail in it...nice capture!!

isa said...

Very ornate - I wouldn't want to be the one to clean them ;-)

Btw- thanks for the history lesson; I was not aware of so many name changes for the Place.

Peter said...

isabella:
Good if you learnt something. I learn something every day now when I have to say something on my blog. Fortunately Google is there.

lyliane six said...

Petite info sur les chevaux de Marly:
Les quatre originaux sont aujourd'hui mis à l'abri de l'érosion dans le musée du Louvre. Quatres copies trônent sur la place de la Concorde, les oeuvres de Coysevox, côté jardin des Tuileries, celles de Coustou, côté Champs-Elysées.

Peter said...

lyliane:
Merci pour cette info supplémentaire que j'avais négligée.

lyliane six said...

Autre petite info:
Les colonnes rostrales portent des proues de navire, qui évoquent l'emblème de la Ville de Paris.

Unknown said...

I am a friend of Jack and Winnie Gordons. Your photographs are incredibly artistic and enjoyable. Continue the great work!

Peter said...

mtruesd724:
I'm extremely happy to get these indirect greetings from my very good friends Jack and Winnie, who were some marvellous hosts when I spent some three months in Columbus, Ohio, in 1965 on a traineeship!!!

black feline said...

i doubt the modern day artisans have the patience and skills to design suc beautiful art pieces...

Kunterbunt said...

No, I must admit, there are a lot of facts, I didn't know. Next time I will see Place de la Concorde with different eyes.