Phantom Metro Stations of Paris

This grainy vintage postcard is a rare find. The mustached gentleman is making his way down to what is now called a phantom metro (subway) station in Paris. The stop Saint-Martin was officially closed on September 2, 1939. 

 
The phantom station was recently spiffed up by the Salvation Army of Paris, France. The homeless are sheltered in this antique setting during the bitter winter months. The station still has beautiful porcelain tile advertisements on the walls.


Hopefully warm soup and a bit of old world charm can bring a smile to their face!

Postcard Friendship Friday #23 - Quirky French Potato History

marie antoinette vintage postcard

In 1748 the French Parliment had actually forbidden the cultivation of potatoes. They were feared to cause leprosy! Sit back and enjoy listening to how Marie Antoinette, Louis XVI, Benjamin Franklin, and Antoine Parmentier changed the tasty tuber's bad rap! Happy Postcard Friendship Friday:)


PS. Is my voice loud enough in these videos? I was thinking about getting a microphone. What do you think? I definatly need to work on my editing skills too!




Welcome to this weeks Postcard Friendship Friday! If you're visiting and would like to join in the fun we would be thrilled;) It's easy! All you need to do is:

1. Have a blast with this mail theme! Examples include: any type of postcard, a photo of a mailbox, mailman, a stamp image, postcard altered art, or simply a photo of something that you find 'Postcard Perfect' etc etc etc!
2. Link in with Mr.Linky at the bottom of this post
3. Visit as many of the other participants as possible and leave comments! That’s what a blog party is all about!
4. Link back to the party from your post so that your readers can come and see what everyone else is talking about today! Please grab the badge if you'd like to add a bit of PFF colour to your post:)

Cardus Maximus Vintage Postcards

Did you realize that these vintage postcards actually show the oldest street in Paris? I was happy to learn this history tidbit. What is now called Rue Saint-Martin was called Cardus Maximus by the Romans.

The Cardus Maximus was always a north-south oriented street according to ancient Roman city planning. It was the hub of economic life and was buzzing with shops and merchants. But this Cardus Maximus is even older even than the Holy Roman Empire, archaeologists claim. It lies atop the Bronze Age trade route that linked northern Europe via Lutèce—the Celtic settlement of the Parisii tribe—to the Mediterranean!

Please subscribe here to my cpaphil - vintage postcard blog. Ohlala, I can't wait to see you again!

Political Babies Strike Back! - Pouting Vintage Postcards

We want dry diapers! We want Mama’s milk! We want to be protected from flies! Can you pick out and translate another pressing demand from this bold vintage postcard? These babies have picked up the French national pastime of striking lickety – split!

The origin of the word strike in English is fairly obvious. To strike means to assault, assail, besiege, aggress…. The German term is Arbetitskampf which literally means work – fight. That makes perfect sense too. The word ‘grève’ in French baffled me . A ‘grève’ is a gravel bank of a river . Pardon? What in the world does that have to do with striking?

L'Hotel de Ville (city hall) in Paris pictured ob this vintage postcard was called la Place de Grève until 1830. This town square is near the bank of the river Seine. The unemployed would congregate here to look for work. A dissatisfied worker looking for a salary hike would come to this square as well when looking for a better job. The word developed over time to mean 'abandoning your job due to a needed salary augmentation.' Voila! The mystery has finally been solved for me through my vintage postcard collection.

Napoleon celebrates Mother's day by creating the holiday in France - Vintage Postcards

France's Fete des Mères is a holiday that was inaugurated by Napoleon in 1806. Letizia Bonaparte was a harsh mother who actually outlived her famous son by 15 years. She strongly disliked him becoming emperor and refused to attend his coronation!

The tradition of honoring mothers dates back to Ancient Greece and Rome. Mother Goddesses were worshipped in both of these cultures during the spring.

The Roman goddess Magna Mater or Cybele was often artistically depicted in a chariot drawn by lions. There was a belief that lions couldn’t mate or produce offspring. Cybele turned people who didn’t properly pay her tribute into these roaring beasts as a punishment Cybele embodies the fertile earth. She is the goddess of caverns, mountains, walls, fortresses, flowers, and wild animals.

Cybele’s most ecstatic followers were called the Galli. They castrated themselves in her honor during the Spring festival. I think I’ll stick to giving my Mom a vintage postcard as a gift! This is a better present idea!

My favorite Napoleon quote is: Ten people who speak make more noise than ten thousand who are silent.

Vintage Moulin Rouge Postcards - Oh la la! I adore gay Paris!

Welcome to the world of saucy cabaret divas! These vintage postcards sizzle with history and life. These feathered ladies dance through my imagination to Jacques Offenbach's 'Orphee in the Underworld ' which is the score most associated with the cancan. It is also nicknamed the 'Infernal Gallop!'



I embedded the music on the sidebar of this post. Click away for uplifting reading music! It is a hilarious and satirical operetta which was written in 1858. Jacques was a German Jew born in Cologne . His name was changed from Jacob to Jacques after immigrating as a child with his family to Paris. His father forced the violin upon him. The young lad rebelled and played the cello in secret. That's not much of a revolt in my opinion!


His 100 operettas were wildly popular before the war between France and Germany broke out in 1870. He was accused of being an agent of Bismark and was forced to flee from his beloved country. The Germans had also labeled him a traitor so he certainly couldn't return to his place of birth either.
Offenbach has been called the Mozart of the Champs -Elysées. He influenced greats including Gilbert and Sullivan. Symphonic pieces need not always be romantic or serious . These grand opera parodies with biting political and cultural satire are right up my alley!

The Lion of Belfort and it's creator Frederic Bartholdi - Vintage Postcards

Cpaphil has recently been presented with unusual ‘’Lion of Belfort” vintage postcards. This stunning Parisian monument is located in the 14^th district in the Place Denfert -Rochereau (previously known as the Place d’Enfer) The sculpture is by Frederic Bartholdi.The lion seen on this vintage postcard symbolizes the heroic resistance of Belfort during a 103 days long Prussian assault (from December 1870 to February 1871). The city was protected from 40,000 Prussians by merely 17,000 men (only 3,500 were from the military) lead by Colonel Denfert - Rochereau.



Frederic Bartholdi can also be credited with the monumental Statue of Liberty under the patronage of Edouard de Laboulaye who was a prolific French abolitionist. He believed that the end of slavery marked the realization of the American democratic ideal embodied in the Declaration of Independence. His use of references to the French role in the American Revolution to generate support for his efforts on behalf of American slaves and freedmen are critical to understanding his conception of the Statue of Liberty. Auguste Bartholdi was largely apolitical and adapted his self-presentation to advance his career as an artist.

The statue’s design almost certainly evolved from an earlier concept Bartholdi proposed for a colossal monument in Egypt, for which the artist used his drawings of Egyptian women as models. Bartholdi changed a broken shackle and chain in the statue’s left hand to tablets inscribed “July IV, MDCCLXXVI” (July 4, 1776) at Laboulaye’s request, to emphasize a broader vision of liberty for all mankind.