Here and there, if you know where to look, it still is possible to catch
a glimpse of an almost-vanished Paris: a scene, an object, that somehow
has miraculously survived decades, even centuries. Old-fashioned
Pleasures of Paris is a small and exquisite catalog of these rarities.
Christophe Destournelles has discovered dozens of vintage "moments"
confiseries, barbershops, glove shops; a bougnat (a café that
traditionally also sold coal) a bouillion (a restaurant that
originally served soup); hookah lounges, movie theatres, harness races,
dive bars, and underground jazz clubs. He's found vintage photo booths,
carousels, public scales, the last remaining pissoir. He's uncovered
tiny establishments that quietly carry on with obscure trades:
phonograph, radio, and clock repair; hand pressing; shoe polishing.
Small details that would be easy to overlook are celebrated in all their
everyday glory: the illuminated subway map, the café where the napkins
of regulars are kept in a nook, the once-ubiquitous little stand of
hardboiled eggs that once could be found on every zinc bar. Each of
these spots, however humble, is worth a visit; even the routier, a
restaurant that originally served truck drivers, is a visual feast, with
its yellow formica counter, red and white checked napkins, and
handwritten menu, antique café chairs, and vintage signage.
Lovers of Paris will be thrilled to know what streets are particularly
beautiful when the snow falls, the history of old telephone exchanges,
and where to find old-timers playing pétanque. This is a book for
visitors--addresses and phone numbers are listed for each venue--and
armchair travelers who will be transported to another place and time by
the sumptuous photographs. Literary quotations throughout add another
layer of romance to this book that celebrates Paris past and present.
