Articles about the History and Culture of the French Capital

From whalebone corsets and horse harnesses, and from steamer trunks and ballet slippers, some of today’s most renowned names in fashion and accessories started as small artisan shops. Here is an inside look at how they bloomed into the household names we know today. CADOLLE – REPETTO – HERMÈS – CHANEL – LOUIS VUITTON The…

Any Paris expat or tourist worth his/her salt has a personal acquaintance with, or at least a passing knowledge of, HARRY’S New York Bar. This inconspicuous saloon in the shadow of the Paris Opera has played host to a pantheon of celebrities and an unending stream of tourists since opening its doors 110 years ago.…

On December 22, 1921, a young Ernest Hemingway and his new bride, Hadley, arrived in Paris. He was 22, she was eight years his senior. He was penniless, she had a small inheritance. Ernest would call Paris his home, on and off, for the next six years. When he departed in 1928, he had acquired…

With so many great artists, writers, and statesmen, it is not surprising that a wealth of famous quotes from notable Parisians have worked their way into the contemporary lore of Paris. But like so many sayings that are wrongly ascribed to the likes of Shakespeare, Mark Twain or Winston Churchill, many Paris quotations have either…

One of our biggest pleasures on each trip to Paris is the search for new dining experiences. Just prior to departure for our most recent visit I received a note from Susan Carter, a fellow Paris restaurant junkie who lives one county away from me. Susan and her sister make dining pilgrimages to Paris every…

When conducting my walking tours of Paris I frequently remind my fellow strollers (flâneurs) to LOOK UP, as so much of the city’s architecture, historical signage and grand vistas are missed if people have eyes fixed on the sidewalk immediately before them. That notwithstanding, there are many instances when it does pay to peruse the…