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Palace of Justice and Sainte Chapelle, west across the Seine, Paris - 1890s
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Written on reverse:.We are on the right (N) bank of the Seine, looking S.W. across the river to the Island of the City. The Louvre and the Palais Royal are at our right, the Hotel de Ville and St. Gervais at our left, the famous boulevards lie in a semicircular curve behind us. Almost ever since the founding of the city there has been a bridge here across the river. In mediaeval times money-lenders had their shops here "on Change" , hence the name of the bridge. This particular structure dates only from the days of Napoleon III..The court-house over there on the island stands on the site of the palace of the mediaeval kings of France. The oblong clock-tower on this nearest corner is a surviving part of the old palace. In behind the first of those conical-roofed towers is the Conciergerie, where Marie Antoinette was imprisoned, and from which she was led to her execution in the Place de la Concorde at our right. Robespierre was imprisoned there afterwards, in another room..The high-shouldered building with the delicate, sharp spire, is the old palace chapel, the "Sainte Chapelle", built by devout Louis IX, in 1245 as a shrine for the relics of Christ which he had obtained in Jerusalem. It is so hemmed in by other buildings that it cannot be seen very well from here, but it is famous all over the world for the beauty of its interior, with exquisite stained glass windows, some of the finest in existence, and for its Gothic wood carvings and sculptures. It was, in fact, made as beautiful as mortal man in those days could think it out or work it out, because it was to hold what the devout in those days believed to be the veritable Crown of Thorns.
Views and Postcards from Australia and New Zealand, mostly from 1880-1920
After the Paris exposition of 1889, France gloried in her triumph. The time between the expositions of 1889 and 1900 was an era of economic prosperity. When Germans announced they want to hold the next world expo, French politicians, industrialists, and intellectuals realized that the country which hosted the exposition at the threshold of the new century "will define the philosophy and express the synthesis of the 19th century." Participating nations architects were given complete freedom to construct their national pavilions in any style, and display whatever they wished therein. The sole limit was the space assigned to each. The buildings of the 1900 exposition fall into two distinct categories, each representing an essential element of the spirit of 1900: Traditionalist 19th century-styled and Art Nouveau - the new style appropriate to the twentieth century. The pavilion to symbolize the new era was the Palace of Electricity. Many expositions gave visitors an illusory trip to remote lands. The Trans-Siberian was a simulated Peking to Moscow railway and "Tour of the World," located at the base of the Eiffel Tower featured moving canvas of the sights and people throughout the world. More than 83,000 exhibitors and attendance of 51 million visitors made it the largest of any exposition. The 127 congresses had attracted over 80,000 participants. The Gare d'Orsay railroad station (now the Musée d'Orsay), and two of original entrances of Paris Métro stations by Hector Guimard., and the Pont d’Alexandre, the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais opened with the exposition. The exposition Universelle of 1900 was the last of its kind held in France.
Île de la Cité is an island in the River Seine, once known as Lutetia, and is the oldest settlement in Paris, France. It is one of two natural islands in the river, the other being Île Saint-Louis. The island has a rich history that dates back to ancient times. It is believed to have been settled by the Parisii, a Celtic tribe, in the 3rd century BC. In 52 BC, the Romans conquered the island and established a city there, which they called Lutetia. The island was the site of several important events in French history, including the signing of the Edict of Nantes in 1598 and the French Revolution. Today, Île de la Cité is home to many famous landmarks, including the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Palais de Justice. Île de la Cité with sights such as the Pont Neuf, the Pont de l’Archevêché and Notre Dame cathedral, makes it the central crossroads of the city, which grew outwards from here. Ile de la Cité is the perfect place for a riverside picnic.
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