Paris when life was in black and white
Les Halles
The large marketplace which is now located at Rungis used to be at « Les Halles », in the heart of Paris. In 1960, it has been moved to Rungis.
« Les Halles » now host the idle youth, arriving from suburbs with the RER (Paris’s express commuter rail system), spending the day wandering about, and filthy rich Parisians, living in the surrounding upscale neighborhood, shopping.
Pigalle 9th & 18th arrondissements
The story of Pigalle begins around the 1880’s. It is the area of all the mobsters and prostitutes . During the First World War, only brothels remain open after 9pm and lots of smuggled alcohol can be found, as plenty of prostitutes.
From 1960, police raids and closure of short-time hotels make the area calmer. Many sex shops can still be found there but the area is becoming more and more bobo.
Ile de la cité
The « Île de la Cité » is considered as the ancient cradle of Paris, once Lutetia (Gallo-Roman city).
Les Champs Elysées
Often referred to as the most beautiful avenue in the world, I love this avenue. I don’t know if it is actually the most beautiful in the world but I’m very attached to it. When Paris was in black and white, life wasn’t located between the Rond-point des Champs Elysees (Franklin D. Roosevelt Station) and the Place de l’Etoile (Place Charles de Gaulle) like it is today, but more between the Place de la Concorde and the Rond-point.
It’s in this area that circus, theatres, cabarets, restaurants and funfairs first settled. When the shops started to open, all the animation has was moved to the section between the Place de l’Etoile and the Rond-Point.
The oldest pic of Paris
One of the oldest pics of Paris, taken in 1839 by Daguerre, at « Boulevard du temple »
