November 21, 2007

Along Rue Réaumur (1)

Still painting, but here is something which I more or less prepared end last week:

Rue Réaumur (3rd arrdt.) stretches from the Temple to our Stock Exchange (la Bourse). It was opened in different steps during the 19th century – Haussmann again. Réaumur was an 18th century scientist, today perhaps best known for the temperature scale which was widely used around Europe before being replaced by the centigrades (Celsius).

The street starts thus at the Temple, today just a square, but this is where an old fortress from 1240, later prison, used to stay. It’s particularly known for having hosted the royal family during the Revolution and Louis XVI was taken directly from here to be guillotined at the Place de la Révolution, today Place de la Concorde.

There are some interesting buildings to be seen along the street, most of them from the period 1850-1900. There are actually so many that I prefer to make only half of the street today.

Some specific words about a few of these buildings:

No. 51 used to be the first big Felix Potin shop, opened in 1860 (rebuilt in 1910). Felix Potin may not say very much to a foreigner, but it became an important chain with 1200 grocery shops all over Paris. The last one closed in 1996.

No. 82 hosted a big department store, “A Réaumur”, until 1961. The founder, J-P Gaubert-Martin somehow invented the “prêt-à-porter”, catalogues and post orders.Walking this first half way of Rue Réaumur, you cross some interesting streets, worth a small deviation. To the left you can find Rue Beaubourg and you can distinguish the modern art museum, Centre Pompidou. When you cross Rue St.Martin you can find the 15th century St.Nicolas-in-the-Fields (St.Nicolas-des-Champs) church to the left and the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts (with museum), previously the 12th century abbey and priory of St.Martin-in-the-Fields (St.Martin-des-Champs), to the right with the St.Martin Arch of Triumph in the background. In between you can find the Jean-Paul Gaultier fashion house and a musical theatre, La Gaité Lyrique. Later you will cross Rue St.Denis, also with its Arch of Triumph – to the right - and a number of sex shops to the left.

Some of these photos can be seen on my photo blog.

(A said, I continue painting, so I don’t know when I will post next time. Excuse me also for not visiting your sites regularly.)

28 comments:

Cuckoo said...

Enjoy your work, Peter !!

No worries, be happy.

Annie said...

It is a walk that is full of interesting sights to see. Was your temperature fine today? Did it allow you to walk at a comfortable pace? You asked me when I would post temperatures in celsius rather than Fahrenheit and so I thought I'd mention that our temperature here today reached 20 degrees celsius.

Keshi said...

very interesting read...

ur still painting? cool! Enjoy Peter! :)


Keshi.

Jessica said...

What a gorgeous clockface! Both clockfaces in this post, actually. I'm excited to see the second half of the street (but take your time and enjoy your painting project).

Ash said...

Painting ?? Interesting.
Enjoy :)

Cergie said...

J'ADORE ta dernière photo ! AH ! Tu n'as pas d'échaffaudage. Tu ne montes pas sur des échelles ni passes de tabouret au risque de te rompre le cou ! Tu gardes les pieds bien au sol. Gare au torticolis, et aux taches...

Cergie said...

Une remarque entrainée par ton message d'aujourd'hui. On voit comme finalement Paris est petit et mérite qu'on le arpente à pied. Sur ton plan, à la fois Beaubourg et l'Opéra Garnier.
Lorsqu'on est sur les gds Boulevards par ex on voit le Sacré Coeur. La Tour Eiffel est visible de partout. Et à pied depuis l'Arc de Triomphe on est si près de la Concorde et des Grds Magasins.
Oh oui, tu as raison d'aller à peid et de lever le nez vers ces merveilles
(Tu fais tes courses chez F. Potin ?)

Anonymous said...

Paris petit? olalala, moi la montagnarde, je trouve que Paris est une bien grande ville, certes plus petite que Londres mais quand même...
Bon ben à force de vous suivre dans toutes les petites ruelles et à regarder toutes ces belles façades, j'ai un peu le tournis. Je vais m'arrêter sur la terrasse de cergie et je vais boire un bon chocolat chaud en compagnie d'olivier s'il le veut bien.
Bonne journée peter!
PS. je suggère des peintures rupestres sur les murs, style des lamas qui broutent. :-))

Olivier said...

delicium pas de problème, je veux bien partager un chocolat chaud avec toi à la terrasse d'un café, c'est tellement agréable.
Pour Peter, ne t'inquiète pas, je ne vais pas mettre mes 300 photos en posts (remarque cela me ferait déjà presque 200 posts de fait), je m'arrête demain ;o))).
Une journée de repos, mais quand tu reprends, tu ne plaisantes pas, ballade impressionnante aujourd'hui

Anonymous said...

All of your remarkable photography is nice but it would be a real "treat" for us, if you would include a photograph of yourself at your best or worst moment while painting.

hpy said...

Ne croyez pas Peter quand il prétend que les murs et plafond vont être peints enblanc! Ils sont juste en train de faire le fond pour ensuite peindre des fresques dessus! Mais ils font les modestes...

lyliane six said...

J'avais le souvenir d'être venue visiter quelques jounaux qui avaient leur imprimerie dans les immeubles de cette rue, en effet,plusieurs d'entre eux
abritaient les bureaux de
journaux: "L'Intransigeant"
puis "France Soir" au
n°100, "Le Parisien
Libéré" au n°113.(Mon mari avait travaillé dans ces 2 jounaux en tant que linothypiste à partir de 1967.)

Jo's-D-Eyes said...

i peter,
I also visited your photoblog just to travel back to PARIS where we were last week, so you saw my Paris impressions too?

I Posted them for you ( and other visiters) You told me that you had not visited the POMPIDOU lately, so now you can visit the POMPIDOU by looking at my blog.

Enjoy yourself the coming weeks and take care:)

Ming the Merciless said...

Peter, your photos are sometimes so different from what I have envision of Paris. The streets are narrow and tight, whereas I always think of big boulevards.

Chuckeroon said...

Keep that camera well covered! No paint spots allowed.

Gaëlle said...

Quelle série une fois de plus ! En plus c'est un agréable quartier.
Bon courage pour la peinture.

Mona said...

ah! I see you are using a roller!

I wish I could watch and help! :)

Thanks for taking us to a walk across the most interesting street!

Maxime said...

Je suis particulièrement impressionné par la façade néo-gothique au n° 61. Si j'étais immensément riche, c'est probablement la maison que je me ferais construire (pas pour y vivre, juste pour la regarder). Hélas, les architectes, Édouard Singery et Philippe Jouannin sont morts depuis belle lurette...

GMG said...

Hi Peter, sorry for having taken so much time to come back here, but these last weeks have been awful. And the future is not promising, but I'll try to be get some time to enjoy your posts...
Rue Reaumur's buildings look great here, as well as the leaves at Batignolles, but that's mostly due to the talent of the photographer/painter...

Noushy Syah said...

Heyya Peter,
How's the painting going on? I'm sure you could finish b4 the x-mas, that would be gr8, isn't it! I suggest you on some music-'Parisienne Walkaway Instrumental' would be nice while painting!

I learnt more about Paris as I go through your blogs...interesting!

Neva said...

old man lincoln has a great Idea....make sure you take a photo of you at your best at painting....sounds good to me!

Peter said...

cuckoo:
Thanks for encouraging me!

annie:
Thanks for the Celsius! My campaign for centigrades seems to have got a start!

keshi:
"Enjoy" is perhaps a strong word - especially a few days later!

Peter said...

jessica:
The "extra" decoration had a greater place in architecture those days!

ash:
Thanks... and same comments as for keshi!


cergie:
Les taches... une de mes spécialités!

Peter said...

cergie (bis):
Felix Potin? Il y a 20 ans oui, aujourd'hui des Franprix partout!

delicium:
Un bon moment sur une terasse - en bonne compagnie en plus... ! Tu me fais rêver! Malheureusement pas le temps pour le moment!

olivier:
Je crois que je ne suis pas le seul à faire les choses serieusement!

Peter said...

oldmanlincoln:
A photo may follow!

hpy:
Pas modeste, juste honnête!

lyliane:
Tu "vole" mon deuxième chapitre!

Peter said...

joann:
I have visited your blog and it encouraged me to soon make a new visit to Centre Pomidou!

ming:
There is a nice pixture! You should come back and I will show you!

chuckeroon:
Good notice taken! My mobile phone is now white (used to be black)!

Peter said...

bleeding orange:
Merci!

mona:
Your help and presence would be very welcome!

maxime:
Il y a quelques bons architectes encore aujourd'hui! Il faut les laisser faire et leur donner les moyens!

Peter said...

gmg:
No excuses needed! I know that you are a busy man. You are most welcome when you find the time!

noushy syah:
Some good music is nice! Before Xmas, I definitely hope so, if not I will get crazy!

neva:
OK! Promised! A photo will come!