Poster art for the 2025 World Congress. Image courtesy of the Paris Art Deco Society and ICADS.
Day Six (The Last Day) – Saturday, October 25th
The Congress was winding down. The only events planned were a walking tour in the morning and early afternoon and the closing night reception at La Coupole. Even though the week flew by too fast, it was still exhausting and I (Anthony) was contemplating skipping the morning walking tour to get some rest. I didn’t and I’m glad I didn’t.
The Roaring 20s of Montparnasse
Meeting our tour bus across from the Musée de l’Homme at the Place du Trocadéro at 8:30, the morning was sunny, but very chilly.
The Musée de l’Homme at the Palais de Chaillot, just across the stree from our tour bus meeting place.
Chris is either taking some photos or is trying to hide behind the streetlight.
About an hour later, we arrived in Montparnasse and began our tour. The neighborhood became home to many artists In the late 19th century. Drawn there by its affordable rents, by the 1920s Montparnasse had become the heart of Parisian intellectual and artistic life.
31 rue Campagne-Premiére
31 rue Campagne-Premiére (1911), André Arfvidson, architect.
Our first stop was at this artists’ studio building. Designed by André Arfvidson (1870 – 1935) in 1911 using reinforced concrete with brick infill, its façade is covered in porcelain stoneware created by Alexandre Bigot (1862 – 1927). In the 1920s, artists such as Chaïm Soutine, Dora Maar, and Man Ray, among others, called this building home. It was also here, in 1924, that Man Ray photographed Kiki de Montparnasse nude in the famous image portraying her as a violin.
Le Violon d’Ingres by Man Ray, 1924.
Detail: Entrance tile work and decorative metal work on the doors
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- Bronze inset panels
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- Door panel details
As previously mentioned, French chemist and ceramicist Alexandre Bigot designed and executed the beautiful glazed tiles and facade reliefs. Inspired by Chinese porcelain, he used his background in chemistry to develop glazes in a large variety of colors and textures.
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- Tile work surrounding doors
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- Beautiful inset rosette in patterned tile
Another view of the grand building facade
A closer look at the window ledges and surrounds seen above
A last view before moving on
23 rue Campagne-Premiére
23 rue Campagne-Premiére (1931), architect Edmond Courty.
Just a few doors down and across the street from the previous building stands No. 23, another residence for artists. Designed by Edmond Courty (1896–1972) in 1930 and completed the following year, the four-story building stands above its low-rise neighbors.
Detail of the building’s cornerstone.
Most of the large studios face north and flooded with natural light. This offered greater comfort for the Montparnasse artists of the 1930s. Past tenants include painters Éric Isenburger (1902–1994) and Bassett Wilson (1888–1972), Norwegian dancer Rita Flood, Jacques Renaud working in art lyrique, and Turkish artist Ali Harsan.
The corner balconies feature ornamental Art Deco ironwork railings.
Detail: Entrance to 23 rue Campagne-Premiére.
Decorative ironwork doors
Decorative set-back element
Last looks before moving on
Cité Nicolas-Poussin
Cité Nicolas-Poussin (1903 – 1905)
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- Front elevation
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- Closer view of the iron scroll-work window
This complex takes its name from the short street that separates its two principal buildings in Paris’s Montparnasse district. Paul Huillard and Louise Süe designed the two-phase development in 1903 as a commission from Jules Huet de Froberville (1868–1944). They completed Froberville’s private residence first. The apartment building containing artists’ studios followed in 1905.
Our guide showing us Picasso’s “The Guitar” (1912)
The rear courtyard features a collection of charming half-timbered pavilions and additional studio spaces. Among its notable residents was Pablo Picasso (1881–1973), who lived and worked here from 1911 to 1913.
Looking through, and into the courtyard
Detail of the decorative and functional gate
Hotel Aiglon
Hotel Aiglon (1927)
Although not officially included on the tour, we passed the Hotel Aiglon on our way to the next stop. Designed by Polish architect Bruno Elkouken (1893–1968), this boutique hotel opened in 1927 and has retained its Art Deco character to the present day. Among its notable early guests were filmmaker Luis Buñuel and sculptor Alberto Giacometti. While much of the exterior displays restrained Art Deco detailing, the entrance is distinguished by its exuberant polychrome tilework, providing a striking contrast to the building’s otherwise understated façade.
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- Detail of the Hotel Aiglon’s decorative ironwork and cement inserts.
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- Decorative tile work of the entrance of the Hotel Aiglon.
Studio Raspail
Studio Raspail (1932)
Bruno Elkouken also designed the Studio Raspail in 1932 for the renowned entrepreneur and cosmetics pioneer Helena Rubinstein (1872–1965). The complex consists of three artists’ studio buildings constructed above a ground-floor cinema. Its minimalist façade is characterized by clean, functional lines and expansive bow windows. The building’s restrained modernist design is contrasted by black metal joinery, lending the composition a subtle Cubist character.
Studio Raspail façade – bay window detail.
The 278-seat cinema, located on the ground floor, specialized in avant-garde film programming and remained in operation until its closure in 1982. In recognition of its architectural and cultural significance, the building was partially listed as a historic monument in 1986, including the façade, roof, and cinema.
Studio Raspail Theatre. Image from societelitteraire.fr
Studio Hotel – 9 rue Delambre
With just a few more stops to go before our mid-morning break, the seafood shop and cheese shop called to our stomachs.
Le Select
Le Select
Situated across the street from La Coupole is Le Select, the destination for our mid-day snack. Founded by the Pléget family in 1923, it was a favorite for artist and writers such as Scott Fitzgerald, Picasso, and Agnès Capri. Ernest Hemingway, a frequent patron, included this café in his book, “The Sun Also Rises”.
A glimpse of the interior
Note the deco pattern over the bar and the fluted mullions in gold
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- Etched glass baffles soften the lights
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- Another beautiful molded glass fixture
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- One of the many deco lighting fixtures
Virtually unchanged is the décor. Comfortable banquettes, marble-top tables and white-aproned waiters provide excellent service.
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- Hot milk and a warm pot of chocolate becomes…
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- …a delicious and rich cup of chocolate
If seated at the large windows at the front, you can watch a slice of Parisian life while sipping a cappuccino, hot chocolate, or any of the many choices for imbibement while eating one of the many delicious offerings.
Picturesque Le Select at night
Stepped Building – 26 rue Vavin
26 rue Vavin façade of the Stepped Building (1913)
This remarkable eight-story stepped apartment house at 26 Rue Vavin, completed in 1914 is one of the most important proto-modern buildings in Paris. Architects Henri Sauvage (1873-1932) and Charles Sarazin (1873-1950) designed the building with a series of setbacks that provided each apartment with its own planted terrace. The use of reinforced concrete made these successive upper-floor setbacks structurally possible while also allowing the apartments to receive abundant light and fresh air.
Façade detail showing the exterior tiles and stepped terraces.
View of a roof-top garden
The design embodied Sauvage’s hygienist ideals, which promoted healthy living conditions as a means of combating diseases such as tuberculosis. Clad in blue-and-white ceramic tiles, the façade presents a clean, durable, and largely unadorned aesthetic that anticipated the functionalist principles of modern architecture.
Mairie annexe du 14e arrondissement
Façade of the Festival Hall of the 14e ar.
Designed by architect Georges Sébille (1870-1962) in 1931 and inaugurated in 1936, this brick building serves as the annex to the 14th arrondissement town hall. Now listed as a historic monument, it is a remarkable showcase of Art Deco civic architecture.
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- Bas-reliefs representing “Agriculture”
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- Bas-reliefs representing “Labor”
Its façade is adorned with two bas-reliefs by sculptor Raymond Delamarre.
Anthony excited to get inside
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- Entering the hall
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- Intricate but delicate metalwork…
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- …provide light and interest in the vestibule
The main stairway photo op from below
Upper gallery from the first landing
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- Details of the beautiful railings by Eugène Patois
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- The murals are a collaboration of three artists:
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- Robert Poughéon, Jean Despujols and Fernand Heurtenberger
Grand window with ironwork by Eugène Patois
The interior forms a veritable gallery of early 1930s decorative arts, featuring murals by Robert Poughéon, Jean Despujols, and Fernand Heurtenberger, ornamental metalwork by Raymond Subes, Eugène Patois and stained-glass windows by master glassmaker Auguste Labouret.
First view of the main gallery
The building is undergoing a renovation. But you get a sense of its beauty when entering the main gallery.
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- Wall sconce
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- Hanging fixtures
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- Radiator covers
Whether looking up or down, you are sure to find something Art Deco. And beautiful murals are featured in almost every room.
Heading back to the main floor offered an opportunity to appreciate the abundance of metalwork.
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- Coming down the main staircase
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- Intricate vestibule of metal and glass
Enter or exit in style
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- The glass and metal windows in the community room
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- Leaving the Festival hall
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- A last look at the beautiful metalwork
Across from the Festive Hall is an enclosed semi-private park. It afforded Chris the opportunity for another artsy picture.
The visit to the Mairie annexe concluded our walking tour of 20s Montparnasse. It was a long but wonderful tour. It was then back on the bus to take us to our hotels to get ready for the night festivities and sadly to start packing for our trip home.
Chris striking another Gene Kelly type pose while waiting for the bus.
On the bus ride back the driver took us around this famous Parisian landmark.
La Coupole – A Brief History
We headed back to our Airbnb, where we had time to refresh ourselves and relax before heading out to dinner.
A brief drive through a misty night and we arrived for our final dinner for this congress.
The neon façade of La Coupole
The brain-child of Ernest Fraux and René Lafon, La Coupole was a direct response to the founders’ inability to buy the restaurant they managed, Le Dome, in 1926. If they couldn’t buy Le Dome, then they planned to buy and build a larger restaurant and right next door!
The main dinning hall with examples of the 32 unique columns
Alphonse-Louis Solvet and his son Paul created the art deco interior. The owners hired thirty-two local artists to paint the murals covering the upper portion of the interior columns – one artist for each column. This group included students of Henri Matisse, Ferdinand Léger, Marie Vassilieff, and Moïse Kisling,
Mirrors give the illusion of space
The upper-level restaurant of La Coupole opened December 20,1927. And it became the favorite haunt for regulars such as Jean Cocteau, Alberto Giacometti, Joséphine Baker, Man Ray, and more in 1928. Pablo Picasso, Simone de Beauvoir and Sonia Delaunay, Marc Chagall, and Édith Piaf made it a regular in 1930.
Ernest Hemingway, Henry Miller, Marlene Dietrich, and Ava Gardner frequented La Coupole in the 1940s and 1950s.
An instant success with a parade of socialites, artists, writers, politicians, an estimated 2000 guests attended the opening– and drank the bar dry.
View from the lounge just outside the hall
The lower-level, The Dancing Hall, opened December 21, 1928. Filiberto Rico‘s Rico’s Créole Band was the main orchestra and became famous for live jazz and Latin music until the 1960s.
La Coupole flourished until World War II. However, after France’s liberation, the owners sold the property for redevelopment. Fortunately, the plans fell through and La Coupole limped along until 1988.
The Flo Group purchased the declining property in 1988. La Coupole briefly closed for nine months to fully restore both levels to their former splendor. They carefully preserved the deco chandeliers and murals painted by the 32 artists.
A very conspicuous addition to the restaurant is sculptor Louis Derbré’s revolving bronze sculpture La Terre [Earth]. Unveiled in 1993, it is actually a copy of La Terre (1972) in Ikebukuro Square in Tokyo,
La Coupole – The Dancing Hall
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- Admiring the architecture…
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- …and our first view.
Anthony entering the Dance Hall
White-gloved servers greeted each guest in the Dancing Hall while handing them a glass of champagne for the beginning of the cocktail hour.
Servers kept busy by a hungry crowd
Graciously allowing me to take their picture
A sample of one of the delicious treats
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- Banquettes line the mirrored walls
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- Deco style lamps brighten the bar
One of the murals adorning the mirrored walls
Unending hors d’oeuvres and with the champagne flowing, guests mingled; many in period appropriate clothing.
And the champagne flowed…
Costumed entertainers helped to set the feeling of a bygone era.
The Serpentine Orchestra played period music, inspiring guest to dance.
The band playing continuously through the reception
Anthony enjoying some bubbly and a good conversation
All too soon, the lights brightened and it was time to head upstairs and have our dinner.
Taking full advantage of the stairway and looking lovely
La Coupole – Restaurant
Louis Derbré’s La Terre
Dominating the restaurant is the revolving bronze La Terre. More than decoration, entertainers use it as a prop dancing in, and around it.
Guests settling in and showing off their outfits
President of the the Art Deco Society of Washington DC, Steven Knight and his wife Karen Burditt
Seated and well plied with champagne, servers delivered a truly delicious three course meal. Of course, the supply of wine and soft drinks flowed.
Duck foie gras with chutney opened the meal, followed by a delicate sole and for dessert, a passionfruit pavlova.
Duck foie gras with chutney – one of Chris’ favorites
Sole-Meunier (photo from saveur.com)
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- Pavlova for dessert
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- Yum!
Truthfully, passionfruit is not a favorite of mine (Chris). However, the combination flavors and texture surprised me. Delicious!
Dancers utilizing La Terre in their performance
Several group numbers “spontaneously” provided entertainment during the dinner.
The Serpentine Orchestra
Of course, the entertainment seemed to be non-stop. The Serpentine Orchestra, as in the Dancing Hall, played period music throughout the night.
As before, costumed entertainers milled through the guests encouraging participation. Note the intricately tiled floor.
Detail of the mosaic tiled floor
For us, the highlight of the evening had to be this performer, La Baronne de Paname. Not only did she dance well, but period accurate, and with unbridled energy.
A quick visit to the cloakroom and we found more deco touches.
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- Elegant reeded glass provides privacy and light
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- Posters recalling a by-gone era
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- The original telephone bay
Performers taking a well deserved break
Goodbye, La Coupole
A long, fun night, we took out tired bodies home. Tomorrow’s adventure? Our journey home.
The Road Home
Luckily for us, our flight was a bit later so there was little need to rush in the morning. After finishing our packing, we did our best to ensure the Airbnb was clean. Bidding farewell to our home-away-from-home we took an Uber, and headed to the airport.
Interesting building abound in France.
Interesting ivy covered building
The ivy covered Le Grande Épicerie de Paris is a (very) upscale, luxury food store.
Gare de Boulainvilliers station
Designer Alexandre Barret created the Gare de Boulainvilliers Station. It opened in April 1900 before the start of the Universal Exposition. Between April and November of that year, 10 million people passed through this station.
Oh look, the Eiffel Tower!
Architect Juste Lisch designed this station for the Exposition Universelle of 1900 (aka 1900 Paris Exposition). It is built on a bridge over the railway.
Anthony enjoying a typical French sandwich
After checking in, and with a couple of hours to pass, we headed out to find food. Surprisingly, the price of our lunch was extremely reasonable.
Settling in for the long flight back across the Atlantic
Ready for take-off
Soon it was time to board our plane, settle in and think about the wonderful experience we had and the new friends we met.
Farewell Eiffel Tower!
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- Good-bye city of lights
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- It is really over
Landing in Newark
Oh, look! the Eiffel Tower Newark refinery complex. Doesn’t have quite the same ring. An exhausting, non-stop week filled with informative lectures, great food, wonderful tours and fantastic friends, new an old and so many memories – it couldn’t be better.
Thanks for coming along with us on our journey to our first Art Deco Congress.
Chris & Anthony (the Freakin’ ‘tiquen Guys)
