Les Grands Magasins Dufayel, a department store owned by
Georges Dufayel at No. 7 Boulevard Barbes in
Paris, France. Dufayel purchased
Le Grand Magasin des Nouveautés upon the death of the store's owner in 1888 and set upon a series of extensive enlargements over the next 20 years including a theatre, cinema, winter garden and cycling track. By the early 20th century the store employed 15,000 people. Dufayel died in 1916, the store closed in 1930 and large portions of it have since been demolished. Click
HERE for more on
Les Grands Magasins Dufayel and for current photographs. What's left of Dufayel's store has been incorporated into a bank building, click
HERE to see it on google street view.
Les Grands Magasins Dufayel, a department store owned by Georges Dufayel at No. 7 Boulevard Barbes in Paris, France. Dufayel purchased Le Grand Magasin des Nouveautés upon the death of the store's owner in 1888 and set upon a series of extensive enlargements over the next 20 years including a theatre, cinema, winter garden and cycling track. By the early 20th century the store employed 15,000 people. Dufayel died in 1916, the store closed in 1930 and large portions of it have since been demolished. Click HERE for more on Les Grands Magasins Dufayel and for current photographs. What's left of Dufayel's store has been incorporated into a bank building, click HERE to see it on google street view.
Photos from Architectural Record, 1902.
Alexander Turney Stewart would have understood !
ReplyDeleteBeats the local mall by a mile. A.T. Stewart knew how to impress his shoppers as well did Strauss and the many early founders of such shopping emporiums as Siegel-Copper, O'Neills,, Adams Dry Goods, Lord and Taylors and Altmans in NYC to name but a few. Now one rushes into a Big Box warehouse store or a Walmart. Depressingly banal indeed.
ReplyDeleteCould you imagine a staircase like that in the middle of a Target? Les Grands Magasins Targét.
ReplyDeleteVery sad really, we expect so little these days from our built environment. We walk around almost immune to the fact that with few exeptions we just dont care about building anything of lasting value. We live in a vinyl/dry-vit/fiberglass/styrofoam/plastic age.
ReplyDeleteAlso last post, promise, lol, but thanks for the google link, I took a left turn at Restaurant GiGi this morning and took a leisurely drive around Paris.
ReplyDeleteOn the flip side...could you imagine spending your day at Target not to buy anything but instead to take in the incredible architecture?
ReplyDeleteThat thought gives me a chuckle.
From La Belle Époque to Le Rabais Époque.
You guys are too hard on Target! Why, just look at this fabulous staircase:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/brookenp/5493013732/
Wow,that staircase is incredible! Just imagine how long it must have taken the ladies to get dressed and ready just to go shopping in that magnificent place.
ReplyDeleteZach, I spend much of my life avoiding having to go to Target and its brethen. I'd be far more likely to become a power shopper if this were my option (speaking of which, ever been in the old Wanamaker's store in Philadelphia? It's organ court is shopping of a high order.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful is this building. The French did Belle Epoque lush better than anybody. They owned it.
Just remember -- the price of this building was passed along to Dufayel's customers.
ReplyDeleteYou might be interested in the link between the Dufayel department store and the life of George Melies, as depicted in the movie "Hugo." http://parisianfields.wordpress.com/2012/01/01/discovery-in-a-dairy-shed/
ReplyDeleteThe link is through the architect who enlarged the Grands Magasins Dufayel -- Gustave Rives. He also designed the Hotel Astoria in Paris. http://parisianfields.wordpress.com/2011/10/30/one-address-many-stories/
Was this Belle Epoque hotel ever featured in Architectural Record?
WW11 my military police Company was operating out of DUFAYEL. Of course it was not full of merchandise or open to the public. Before we were stationed there the Germans used it. Interestingly, the staircase was closed off and we had to walk up to our sleeping quarters. At only 17 yrs. old it was still a great experience for me though.
ReplyDeleteHello Hart
DeleteI am a french journalist and some years ago i wrote an article about the story of dufayel département store and now i want to write a book about it. Have you some photography of this department store during Ww11? Best regards
Annick amarannick@gmail.com