Je T'Aime, Moi Non Plus

I am not big on Hallmark holidays, such as hmmm...Valentine's Day...BUT, I am big on the affections of French film, music and culture. So, as an homage, I will use this "holiday" as an excuse to post images, of what I esteem as the most romantic couples, love triangles, lustful encounters, or even heart broken singles of the French big screen, from some of the most moving, and heart wrenching films ever made...

And, what better than to begin with the legendary, real-life French couple; Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg, in their cult hit  "I Love You, Me Neither"


Here are the lover's from the big screen:
37°2 Le Matin - (Betty Blue), A Bout De Souffle (Breathless), Aimez-vous Brahms  (Goodbye Again), Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain (Amelie), Bande à Part (Band of Outsiders), The Dreamers, Last Tango in Paris, Baisers volés (Stolen Kisses), Ma nuit chez Maud (My Night At Maud's), Le Souffle Au Coeur (Murmur of the Heart), Jules et Jim, A Nos Amours (To Our Loves)

Les Bouquinistes

To continue with the nostalgic theme of the merchants of memorabilia, what better then sellers of old, antique books, first editions, signed copies, sepia postcards from the turn of the century, and other used manuals. 

Les Bouquinistes, the used-book sellers you can find along the Seine and around Notre-Dame, have been around forever. As a matter of fact, many impressionist paintings depict them. They have become an iconic fixture of the Paris landscape since the mid-1500s when shops and stalls lined most of the bridges in Paris. You cannot miss them, they are as important to the city's identity as is the Eiffel Tower or Sacre-Coeur. 

"After the Revolution, business boomed when entire libraries were liberated from nobles or clergymen and wound up for sale cheap on the banks of the Seine. In 1891, bouquinistes received permission to permanently attach their boxes to the quaysides. Today, the waiting list to become one of Paris' 250 bouquinistes is eight years. Each bouquiniste is given four boxes, all of a specified size, and rent is paid only for the stone on which the boxes rest (less than €100 per year). The most coveted spots are awarded based on seniority. Maintenance costs, including the required vert wagon paint (the green color of old train cars), are paid by the sellers. With little overhead, prices are usually cheaper than in most shops. Bouquinistes must be open at least four days a week. Wednesdays are best (when school is out), and warm, dry days are golden (notice that every item is wrapped in protective plastic). And yes, they do leave everything inside when they lock up at night; metal bars and padlocks keep things safe."

To read more in French make sure to visit this page, there is also an English language option in the upper right corner. Unfortunately, if you are not fluent in French, you won't be finding the next read for your flight home at the bouquinistes, but you might still enjoy the stroll along the seine, and a gander at this beautifully maintained tradition.

Nouvelle Vague - Dance

I happen to be both, a huge fan of New Wave, the French cinematic movement, and Nouvelle Vague, the French band. Here is a little marriage between the two...just cause it's so effortlessly charming.

Original excerpt from the film, Bande à Part, by Godard



And here is Nouvelle Vague's video

Paris Flea Markets

....And it's 2012. The end of the world is upon us. Or, just the end of another year. Was it worth living? Was is a success or a trial? Was it time well spent? I hear that time is an illusion, so for whatever it's worth, I will start here this year by drawing out a bit of the past. After all, what would we be today, without our heritage? Every city's exploration should include a thorough examination of its markets; from organic produce markets, to black markets. It will show you the city's true face, maybe even a few wrinkles, and hopefully its patrimoine, as the French say - its heritage. There are many different Flea Markets to chose from in Paris, the most notable being the St Ouen Flea , officially called Les Puces de Saint-Ouen. It carries absolutely everything you can dream of; past and present.  There are 2 500 stalls full of antiques, jewelry, paintings, perfume bottles, old and new vintage fashion shops, books and more. it brings in more than 11 million visitor’s a year, and it is located in the north of Paris (metro Clignancourt). 

This market dates back to the Middle Ages, when merchants resold the cast-off, flea infested clothing of aristocrats to peasant folk. Then, Picasso himself was a frequent visitor, perhaps while searching for inspiration. Also, if you have seen Woody Allen's  “Midnight In Paris” you have already gotten a glimpse of its charms, as parts of the movie were filmed there. It is open from Saturday to Monday. This site has amazing tips and insight on the whole ordeal. It is a must stop for all seekers of memorabilia.

You can also find the Vanve Market down south avenue Georges Lafenestre and avenue Marc Sangnier, 75014 Paris. This outdoor market is open until 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tables along both sides of the sidewalk are full of paintings, jewelry, dishes, furniture, and books. 

And finally, there is also Marche aux Puces de Montreuil, avenue de la Porte de Montreuil, 75020 Paris / 93100 Montreuil-sous-Bois. This market offers mountains of second-hand clothing, car parts, showers and laundry machines, and other random goodness. You'll find little pre-1900's, but there are fun collectibles like branded pastis water jugs. Hours: Sat. - Mon., 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Paris Auctions

Auctions have a long , and somewhat dubious history having been recorded as early as 500 B.C. According to Herodotus, in Babylon auctions of women for the purpose of marriage were held annually. It was considered illegal to allow a daughter to be sold outside of the auction method. Later it was the "Spoils of War"such as conquered land and slaves that would be auctioned off, as well as the assets of debtors.

During the end of the 18th century, soon after the French Revolution, auctions came to be held in taverns and cafés to sell art. Such auctions were held daily, and catalogs were printed to announce available items. France technically isn't the birth place of these art and antique auctions Les Ventes aux Enchères (Sweden is), but their popularity spread like wild fire and today Paris is full of them. Parisians and visitors alike attend on regular basis. Of course, this is just one way of purchasing antiques of all sorts, but non the less a very popular one.

Below I list only some of the biggest and most popular ones:

Christie’s, 9 avenue Matignon, 75008 Paris - 01 40 76 85 85
http://www.christies.com

Sotheby’s, 76 rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré, 75008 Paris - 01 53 05 53 05
http://www.sothebys.com 

Artcurial, 7 rond-point des Champs-Elysées, 75008 Paris
http://www.artcurial.com

Tajan, 37 rue des Mathurins - 01 53 30 30 30
http://www.tajan.com



Drouot , 9 rue Drouot, 75009 Paris - 01 53 79 37 29
 http://www.drouot.com

Néret-Minet & Tessier, 8 Rue Saint-Marc, Paris - 01 40 13 07 79
http://www.neret-tessier.com

Millon et Associes, 5 Avenue Eylau, Paris - 01 47 27 95 34

http://www.millon-associes.com

The Decadents, The Symbolists, and The Vampires

My head is stuck in the past. Lately even more than usual. I have been more or less reading several books at once; Dreamers of Decadence, Dracula, The Vampyre, The Symbolists and such... All masterpieces in their own right, and all an easy means to time travel. The recent trip home further justified this drift. European homes and cities are filled with ghosts of the past, antiques, and nostalgia of all sorts.

I decided to devote the next few posts of this blog to antiquarians, flea markets, auction houses and all merchants of memorabilia. Being a hopeless romantic, I have almost entirely devoted my shopping time to scouring antique shops for certain forgotten Victorian objects, and old books as if they would help me restore something of the past. In the process, it dawned on me that I have never explored the subject of antiques much in this blog.

So, that's to come soon.

For now I leave you with this treat from Maxence Cyrin, not really vintage, but a definite treasure

Carla Bruni at Midnight in Paris

I saw Midnight in Paris tonight, and it was perfectly enchanting. So many of my favorite places, so many of my favorite eras, and incredible personas: Toulouse Lautrec, Gaugin, Hemingway, Picasso, Stein, ...Carla Bruni? I still can't get over this woman's multiple lives; a model, heart breaker,  singer,  actress,  first lady! Not everything she has done inspires me, but her versatility does inspire me greatly!
I think her best role so far is linked to the release of her first album, which was unfortunately doomed to be soon overplayed, and as the result, BLAH. However, the very first time it was introduced, it sounded incredible; her voice was surprisingly good, the melodies astoundingly personal, and the lyrics,  well that was just a total shocker. For some reason when I left the cinema tonight  "Quelqu’un m’a dit" the big hit from a few years ago kept playing in my head. Funny. I mean it's not even in the movie. The film was perfectly amusing, and she did look beautiful in the brief cameo and all (though rumor has it, she was a pill to direct), but that song, though not related,  evoked something of the film actually, a certain sentimentality. I just couldn't get it out of my head. So here is the song and the translation - which is never as good as the real thing, but it roughly gets the point across. Voila.....

                       

Quelqu’un m’a dit (Carla Bruni) – translation