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Reducing the whole history of Paris to just 50 "objects" is an impossible task, there are simply too many important objects and choosing which one best represents Paris and its history is a matter of judgement. The task is daunting and the choices were impossible. Thankfully there is a Museum in Paris called "Musée Carnavalet" which is the Museum of the History City of Paris and many of its objects formed the start of what could be my "History of Paris in 50 objects"However I will certainly fail in bringing a complete unbiassed picture in this attempt. Please feel free to add your suggestions in the comments and bring up the Objects I have surely missed. This is a work in progress...1- Mammoth TeethMammoths, ancestors of modern elephants, appeared in Eurasia around -300 000 years and disappeared around -10 000 years. One can regularly find traces of them in the Île-de-France region during archaeological excavations or major works. During the glacial periods, this species thrived in harsh environments and cold "steppes". They were regularly consumed by prehistoric men. Debate remains as to how those men could acquire those huge beasts: hunting, scavenging or trapping. One thing is sure though: there were Mammoths in Paris :)2- SilexDiscovered in a quarry in Saint-Brice-Sarcelles, in the Val d'Oise, this sandstone tool is characteristic of the "Middle Palaeolithic" period (200 000-30 000 BC), during which the Neanderthals lived. The alterations visible on its side edge led early researchers to associate it with the function of "scraping" for example a skin. Nevertheless, recent studies on the analysis of traces of material worked and the actions of the crafters of the time revealed other functions for these tools such as to cut meat or bones, work skin or wood materials.3- Female StatuetteThis bust, without head or leg, on which are engraved two arms ending in the schematic representation of the fingers, from the site of Bercy in Paris. Breasts and neck are also suggested. It dates from the Neolithic, precisely from the Chasséen period (-4200 to -4000 BC.) and denotes the appearance of the first farming villages. Six other similar statuettes have been found in this deposit. It is very difficult to determine their function but some suggest they may be "mother goddesses" evoking fertility.4- CanoesTen canoes, some of them in fragments, have been found in the east of Paris, on Bercy site. This set of prehistoric crafts is one of the oldest in the world and is featured in the Carnavalet Museum. The two most comprehensive are the P06 canoe dating from 4800-4300 BC. BC (Cerny culture specific to the Seine and Marne) and the canoe P03 2700 BC. AD (photography). They were used by Neolithic fishermen who had settled on the right bank of the Seine, between the river and side channel. Terracotta pots they used for their kitchen have also been found.5- SwordMade of copper alloy (bronze), this sword dates back to the Bronze Age (2000-800 BC). This period marks the birth of a warrior aristocracy, because of the control of minerals which are unevenly spread across the territory. However, the random distribution of weapons in this period proves a lack in rigorous organization of those armed groups. Most weapons are of the Bronze Age are for foot soldiers such as this sword. However some large swords also appeared at the end of the Bronze Age which could be associated with Horsemen.6- CombDiscovered at Saint-Germain-des-Prés, this Merovingian comb bone is somewhat similar to its Parisian contemporaries: a central core with teeth cut on both long sides, the row of one side being tighter and thinner than the other. The central part is held between two flat half round strips. It is decorated with ocelli (dotted circles) and with rivets of bronze and iron. These objects were probably stored in a case to protect its teeth, which are very fragile. Probably the earliest example of what became Parisian Chic ;)7- Surgeon's toolsThese remains represent an entire surgeon kit, dating from the second half of the third century, found in a necropolis in the 13th arrondissement of Paris in the late nineteenth century. Composed of 32 metal objects, 2 stones and 75 coins, the oldest dating from the reign of Victorin (270 A.D.). These remains were buried with their owners in the south of Lutetia and on the side of a road towards Italy.In Gallo-Roman times, graves usually do not contain tools informing us of the profession of the deceased which is what makes this surgeon's kit discovery quite essential especially as instruments, arranged in a bronze basin, are extremely well preserved.8- Glass WorkThis bottle was found in a burial site within a large monolith stone sarcophagus and was dated to the third century AD, during the Roman Empire. Its rarity and perfect preservation make this one of the most interesting pieces of its time: objects of similar sort are almost always of a smaller size. The amber colored glass is hand blown and of superior quality. The neck is high and decorated with a mid-height glass yarn. The lips are everted and simple tapered belly is decorated with six deep depressions and elongated. Suitable for transporting liquid, the bottle could also enter into the composition of a service table. Other objects such as ceramic cups have this type of decoration, emphasizing the links between formal tableware ceramics or metal and the glass.9- JewelleryThis Merovingian belt was found south of the church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris and is dated to the second half of the seventh century. It consists of two trapezoidal plates, an oval loop and the tongue of the shield. Made with iron inlaid with silver and orichalcum (yellow brass), the remarkable details of this set combines interlacing and animal motifs or plant almond and cruciforms in diamond shape motifs. Although this specimen comes from an isolated context, this type of object is typically found in exhumed funerary settings such as in the tomb of Queen Arnegunde Saint-Denis. Such found objects generally belong to female pageantry costumes: the funeral customs of the time included the fact that women belonging to a high social rank were buried with their ornaments.10- SarcophagusSarcophagus entirely decorated with Maltese Cross and St Andrews Cross, found in the Saint-Vincent-Sainte-Croix basilic. From the Merovingian times. The Merovingians more or less united and then ruled Gaul after the Romans left, famously led by Clovis they fought against the Barbarians (Visigoths, Saxons and Alemanni) and originated from the Seine valley.11- Statuette of Ste AgnésThis object is a miniature sculpture of a size smaller than your hand. Its finesse is remarkable and it is one of the rare examples of small objects for private devotion that were part of everyday life in the thirteenth century. The figure depicted is St. Agnes because the gown covers its feet so it is a woman, it carries a lamb, which is the attribute of this Roman times martyr. The symbol is probably due to the assimilation of the two names (Agnes / Agneau…which means Lamb).The heads of the Saint and the animal have been broken, perhaps voluntarily during the Revolution. She was then thrown into the Seine, where it was discovered in the nineteenth century.12- FurnitureThis is one of the oldest wooden piece of furniture preserved in France, it is from 1220! The wooden structure is reinforced with wrought iron hinges into flower shaped moulds. It allegedly comes from a small abbey in Saint Denis, north of Paris.13- Notre-Dame-de-ParisThis huge church was built between 1163 and around 1240 and is the most prominent example of Gothic architecture in both France and Europe. Much of it was desecrated during the French Revolution and the famous Viollet-Le-Duc "restored" it to its ancient glory in the 19th century. At the time, it was the most important building in Europe and possibly the world. Thanks to its large "parvis", imposing structures and intricate details, it stands as the second most recognisable monument of Paris, and is even more popular than the Eiffel Tower according to some.14- Chateau de MadridUpon his return from captivity in Madrid, François I decided to leave the Val de Loire and take up residence in Paris and the castles of Île-de-France. He ordered the building of a castle in the Bois de Boulogne, where he loved to hunt. Unique of its kind, the castle was completely covered with very colourful glazed ceramic made by the famous Italian family Della Robbia. The castle was destroyed during the Revolution and only this small piece of its decoration remains.This is significant for two reasons: it was a major move for the Kings of France which propulsed Paris to prominence and it also was the founding impulse of the Renaissance with the emergence of Fine Arts over the whole of Europe: inspiration from Spain, execution from Italy for a French palace.15- La JocondeAfter his famous Marignan victory in 1515, François I returned from Italy with Leonardo da Vinci, who spent the last three years of his life (1516-1519) in France. The King of France called the prince of the Italian Renaissance "first painter, first engineer and chief architect of the kingdom". Da Vinci brought with him paintings, one of which was the famous Mona Lisa - or La Joconde in French- and worked on several projects, including the castle of Chambord whose original architecture, such as its double revolution staircase, bears his mark.La Joconde, the most famous painting in the world, establishes Paris as the "cultural capital of the world" for much of the times to come.16- Vatel and French GastronomyPossibly the founding myth of French gastronomy. His real name Fritz Karl Watel (1631-1671), a Swiss-born patissier, was the butler of Nicolas Fouquet, powerful then disgraced Finance Minister of Louis XIV. He later entered the service of the Grand Condé, as (true story) "Comptroller General of the Mouth of the Prince" - how awesome is that title by the way?In April 1671, Condé hosts the most powerful French king, Louis XIV and the Court in the castle of Chantilly has for three days of festivities, The whole organization is entrusted to Vatel. On the first day, a few roasts are missing from the dinner. Vatel believes his reputation is compromised, despite the compliments of the Court and the Prince: "My lord, your kindness kills me, I know that the 'roti' was missing at two tables."The next morning, the delivery of fresh fish and shellfish from Boulogne-sur-Mer is late. "I will not survive this insult, I have my honor and reputation to lose". Vatel goes up to his room and puts an end to his life. A true story.17- VersaillesThe "Grande Galerie" (great gallery) as it was known, 73 meters long, connects the Apartments of the King to those of the Queen. It is lit by 17 windows that overlook the gardens. The architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart designed a decoration of 17 arcades ornamented with 357 glass panels.The size of the mirrors, manufactured by the royal manufactory of Saint-Gobain, shows the economic prosperity of the kingdom of France. The overhead paintings are by Charles Le Brun and his collaborators on nearly 1000m2 and took more than 5 years to finish.30 compositions were chosen by Louis XIV himself and illustrate the glorious history of his reign. It served as a daily place of passage, frequented by courtiers and visitors of the Court who wanted to see the king. It was also the venue of royal festivities, for example in honour of the marriage of Marie-Antoinette and the dauphin Louis in 1770. But it also remained a seat of power, where diplomatic receptions occurred. For example, the Ambassadors of Siam in1686, Persia in 1715 and the Ottoman Empire in1742 had to cross the whole 73 meters of the Hall in front of the whole Royal Court to face the royal throne and bow to the King of France.18- The "Fardier" of CugnotJoseph Cugnot (1725-1804), French engineer designed between 1769 and 1771 the first motor vehicle in history, known as the "Cugnot dray" Drays were wagons used for the carriage of heavy loads, particularly in the army. Supported by the Duc de Choiseul, Minister of War of Louis XV, Cugnot develops a very long machine, more than 7 meters, driven by a steam engine located at the front: the dray pilot is using a handlebar and it moves at the speed of a pedestrian. In 1770, the first prototype runs in Vanves, but its course ended after just a few meters after the machine hit a brickwall! The disgrace of Choiseul forced Cugnot to interrupt its work but the dray was further developed by the Army and used in Napoleonic campaigns. Several replicas of prototype have subsequently been produced. A reconstruction of the Cugnot dray circulated in the streets of Paris on 23rd October 2010 ...19- The Necklace of Marie-AntoinetteAugust 15, 1785, Chåteau de Versailles. Cardinal of Rohan, Grand Chaplain of France, was arrested in the Hall of Mirrors, before baffled courtiers. The affair of the Necklace broke out in broad daylight. Fallen in disgrace, the Cardinal of Rohan wanted to buy the favour of the Queen. On the advice of the (self-proclaimed) Countess de la Motte, he acquired a diamond necklace valued at one million six hundred thousand pounds. The necklace consisted of 540 diamonds and 2,800 carats and had been crafted by the jewelers of the Crown, Bohmer and Bassenge.Madame de La Motte organized a meeting at night in the park of Versailles between the Cardinal and Queen Marie-Antoinette, aka Miss Le Guay d'Oliva, a prostitute who looked like the Queen. Once the deal done, the Cardinal gives the necklace to the Countess to offer to the Queen. But the Countess disappears with the necklace which she rips apart and sells for a huge profit. The scam is discovered and the Cardinal faces charges before the Parliament of Paris in May 1786. He is found innocent while Madame de la Motte and her accomplices are arrested and judged. She is sentenced to life in prison and marked with red irons, the V of "Voleuse" (thief).The magistrate of the Parliament of Paris summarizes the scope of the case: "A crooked cardinal, a Queen involved in a case of fake! What a lot of mud on the butt and scepter! What a triumph for the ideas of freedom! " The Affair of the Necklace comes to crystallize the unpopularity of Marie-Antoinette, the carefree, cheerful, expansive Austrian, who becomes "Madame Deficit." The fraud tarnishes the image of a monarchy increasingly criticized and the event is seen as the real start point of the French Revolution.20- The Oath of "Jeu de Paume"1789, the conservative spirit of the Privileged orders was hindering the Estates-General. For their part, the Progressive delegates demanded the reform-friendly "one-man, one-vote", and not the per Order vote system as it always had been. The situation was still blocked on June 17th, 1789, when the Third Estate, soon joined by some of the Clergy, proclaimed a "National Assembly". From simple mandatories called on to vote about fiscal reform, they now became full fledged Representatives of the Nation. To counteract this truly revolutionary decision, the King ordered their Chamber closed on the 20th. The members therefore gathered into a nearby "Jeu de Paume" court (the ancestor of Tennis). They proclaimed that, regardless of where they were assembled, there was the National Assembly, and they solemnly swore not to separate before giving a Constitution to France. The oath was signed by representatives of all but one of them, his freedom of opinion was respected. This marked the decisive founding stage of the French Republic which shaped the future of the civilised world.And this in a basic run-of-the-mill Parisian building…21- The BastilleVoltaire, the Marquis de Sade, the mysterious Iron Mask, or even Nicolas Fouquet were all "embastilled", as the French term goes. The fortress, erected at the end of the 14th century to protect the east of Paris, became a jail under Louis XI, but it was Richelieu who transformed it into a "State (read "political") prison". "Bastille of divine right," the king sent, by lettre de cachet, seditious subjects of the kingdom, especially opponents of the literary sort. Between the mid-17th century and 1789, it hosted more than 5000 prisoners, from all social classes.But on July 14th, 1789, it has only seven prisoners including four forgerers, two lunatics and a noble. The day after the assault, the people of Paris came to get the gun powder it housed, and its demolition started under the direction of Pierre Francois Palloy.This act of destruction "La Prise de la Bastille" became the fame founding myth of the French Republic.22- The French FlagJuly 17th, 1789, three days after the storming of the Bastille, Louis XVI dons a Blue, Red and White flag at the Hotel de Ville of Paris. Combining the colour of the King, white, and those of the city of Paris, blue and red, the flag symbolises the union of the King with his Nation. "Sire, Henry IVth had conquered his people, here it is the people who have conquered their King" Bailly then famously said.These three colours became the official French flag in 1794, an Order that would have been defined by the painter David the legend goes. Anyway the importance of the City of Paris in the French flag is significant and is also a symbol of the excessive centralisation occurring in France.23- The GuillotineDespite popular belief, this machine was not "invented" by Dr Guillotin but It was developed by the surgeon Antoine Louis, who was inspired by an original Scottish machine.On 1 December 1789, the MP Joseph Guillotin submitted to the Assembly a draft reform of the Penal Code. He requested that, in accordance with the principle of Equality, penalties for capital crimes should be the same for everyone. Under the Old Regime, decapitation was reserved for the nobles, while the common man was hanged. Privileges were henceforth abolished, even in death."With my machine, declared Guillotin, I'll blow your head in a wink and no-one will suffer. "Guillotin advocated that death be administered "by the effect of a simple mechanism" instead of the actions of a mortal man, an important distinction. The construction of "the Widow" was entrusted to a manufacturer of harpsichords, Schmidt, assisted by the executioner Charles-Henri Sanson and several carpenters. It was used for the first time April 25, 1792 and for the last time in 1977...24- The Bath"A horrendous night came on to extend its funeral cape over us; the intrepid defender of Liberty has become its martyr. Marat! Marat is no more." Funeral Oration of Marat by citizen Francois Elie Guirault.On July 13, 1793, with a knife stab to the heart Charlotte Corday assassinates Jean-Paul Marat in his bathtub. A doctor, a journalist and editor, Marat is one of the leaders of the "Montagnards" party and a renowned politician of the Revolution. Its newspaper, 'L'Ami du Peuple', became his nickname. Charlotte Corday, a descendant of Pierre Corneille, considers him one of the leaders of the Terror movement which swiftly decimated any perceived opponents of the French Revolution and she murders him after getting into his house under the pretext of a query. She is arrested on the scene, tried by the Revolutionary Tribunal and executed only 4 days later on July 17, 1793! The Convention (the executive body at the time) requires David the painter to capture the event in a painting. The artist accepts and also organises the funeral of the People's Friend. His body is covered in a wet sheet representing the bath, except for the bare torso showing the bloody wound.The bathtub, his inkwell and the Charlotte Corday note are deposited at the bottom of the pedestal. His remains will then be exposed for a few months at the Pantheon. It stays in memory as the symbol of the Terror period, a dark, and often overlooked, moment in the Revolution.25- "L'Américain"Modeled with great finesse, this Porcelain "group" is probably the work of famous sculptor Charles Gabriel Sauvage Lemire, associated with the Niederwiller factory. The factory belonged to Count Adam Philibert de Custine, a brilliant young officer of the American war, rallied to new ideas. It is, therefore, not surprising to find historical themes treated by Niederwiller. It also reflects the popularity of Benjamin Franklin, both scholar and diplomat with the French. The sculptor did not put the two men on the same level. The stature of Louis XVI dominates the American, an effect reinforced by the platform on which the King is perched.The sponsor of this group certainly wanted to show that France, if it recognised the independence of the young Republic, intended to retain the upperhand. The King's armour reminds us of the important military aid granted by France to the United States. Nothing has been omitted by the sculptor who very much embellished Louis while he made no attempt to beautify Franklin, describing him as he was, a bald head surrounded by a thin ring of long hair and dressed in a basic attire.26- Napoleon's Field CompendiumThis is the most famous field compendium executed by Martin-Guillaume Biennais for Napoleon. Of the many compendiums ordered by the Emperor, it was his favourite because it followed him "in the morning, in the glorious days of Ulm, Austerlitz, Jena, Eylau, and Friedland". Upon leaving for the Island of Elba, in 1814, he gave it to General Bertrand. Later it was included in his will, among the objects that we wanted to give to his son. After the death of the "Aiglon" in 1832, General Bertrand gave it to the City of Paris in 1840.This kit includes diverse tools, table service and toiletry items: more than 110 pieces, the main ones are gilt, but are also made in crystal, porcelain, ivory, pearl, steel, ebony, and leather; all of them in a massive mahogany case with inlaid gilt.27- "Tête-à-Tête"This luxurious "head-to-head" set, richly decorated in gold and polychrome shows on each of its components the sight of a famous Parisian landmark. The Schoelcher manufacture, who had shops on the Boulevard Des Italiens, the sign "Courage Under Fire", was deemed one of the best of the capital. It closed its doors in 1834. Still it represents the high sellable value of the Paris landmarks and its extensive use for commercial purposes in the centuries to come.28- The Giraffe of Charles XIn 1826, the viceroy of Egypt, Mehemet Ali, offered King Charles X a most unusual diplomatic gift: a giraffe. Captured in Sudan, Zarafa, around two years old, made a long journey that lead her from the valley of the Nile to Marseilles.It was welcomed there by the professor of zoology at the Museum of Natural History, Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire. This is the first giraffe to ever treadFrench soil. In six weeks, the giraffe will head a fabulous procession including native Sudanese and dairy cows (of which she drank their milk everyday), walking on foot, all the way from Marseilles to Paris. Upon its arrival, the giraffe is formally presented to King Charles X on July 9th, 1827. It is then lead to the Ménagerie of the Jardin des Plantes where she lived for another 18 years, she died from complications caused by her daily dose of cow milk...This event created a true "Girafomania" in France, which was reflected in the illustrations, scenery, literary (Balzac) and artistic works of the time, more than 600.000 visitors in the summer of 1827 alone. Naturalised, the giraffe is still visible at the Museum of La Rochelle.29- Foucault's PendulumNamed after the French physicist Léon Foucault, it was first a simple device conceived as an experiment to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth. While it had long been known that the Earth rotated, the introduction of the Foucault pendulum in 1851 was the first simple proof of the rotation in an easy-to-see experiment. After a few different locations, it long stayed in the Panthéon but more recently at the Musée des Arts et Métiers. In 2010, the cable suspending the "bob" snapped causing irreparable damage to the pendulum and its marble floor. It inspired the famous book by Umberto Eco.30- "Les Trois Glorieuses"This painting called "La Liberté guidant le Peuple" by Eugéne Delacroix has become an icon of the triumphant Republic.Yet this was not the intention of its painter. The Three Glorious Days of July 27, 28 and 29, 1830 drove the Bourbons from the French throne. Charles X was forced to abdicate while the Duke of Orleans, Louis Philippe, became "King of the French" (not King of France…). Witness of the uprising, Delacroix began to retrace the Parisian epic. The painting was first exhibited at the Salon in May 1831. In the center, the allegory of Liberty, triumphant, tricolore and with Phrygian cap on the head, recalls the revolutionary spirit of 1789. It guides the crowd across the barricades and corpses in a pyramid structure that rises to victory. Legend goes that the kid next to Liberty inspired the Gavroche character in "Les Misérables" by Victor Hugo…More than the painting though, it is the myth of those 3 glorious days of Revolution which is of significance to the history of Paris.31- The Chair of BalzacThis chair was Honoré de Balzac's for more than 30 years and followed him from house to house, as his worktable. It reflects a certain French way of life, it accompanied the insatiable work of the writer, draped in his long white cashmere dress in the winter and simple cotton one in the summer. It was not uncommon for the author of "The Human Comedy" to spend sixteen to eighteen hours a day sitting in this chair writing.Balzac was one of the writers whose style and essence embodied the French, and Parisian, lifestyle of the 19th century, describing in minute details the lives of the rich, the poor, the famous and the forgotten.32- The Imperial CradleWith the official announcement of the pregnancy of the Empress, the City of Paris asked the Emperor permission to prepare the cradle of the imperial child. The prefect of the Seine, Haussmann, obtained from Council unlimited funds for the execution of the cradle by the most skilful artists. The total cost of the work was 156,839 francs, a fortune at the time. Entirely paid for by the City of Paris.Inspired by the cradle of the King of Rome (Hofburg, Vienna), the ornamental cradle was offered by the City of Paris to Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie on the birth of the Imperial Prince Eugene Louis-Joseph (1856-1874).The set was designed by architect Victor Baltard, the figure of the City of Paris engraved in silver by Pierre-Charles Simart, that of the Eagle by Henri Jacquemart, enamels representing the cardinal virtues executed by the Sèvres Manufacture from cardboards by Hippolyte Flandrin, bronzes cast by the house Froment-Meurice and carpentry rosewood from Grohé brothers. The set was very characteristic of the eclectic and overloaded taste of the Second Empire.33- Haussmann"Paris is the heart of France. Let's put all our efforts to beautify this great city, to improve the fate of its inhabitants." This is the project of Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte in December 10, 1850. He entrusted its implementation to an energetic man, Georges-Eugéne Haussmann, appointed Prefect of the Seine in 1853.Besides the opening of the "Grande Croisée" from east to west (the Rue de Rivoli and the Rue Saint-Antoine) and from north to south (from Boulevard de Sebastopol to Boulevard Saint-Michel), Haussmann completed the "Grands Boulevards". The "boulevards" originally referred to the large ramparts or fortification walls around Paris used to transport for large artillery guns. They were transformed in wide avenues lined with tree-lined counter alleys under Louis XIV.Haussmann decided to connect those Boulevards. He sets new standards for construction, i.e. the single alignment of facades and making the height of buildings proportional to the width of the street. These boulevards instantly became a huge success and the heart of Parisian life where the bourgeoisie of the Second Empire showed off. Boulevard cafés opened up everywhere. Everyone who is anyone elegantly paraded at "Glacier Tortini" or the "Café de Paris" frequented by the likes of Alexandre Dumas, Alfred de Musset or Théophile Gautier, while Offenbach triumphed at "Theatre des Varietiés" on Boulevard Montparnasse…This could be the single most important event in the history of Paris, turning it into the elegant, majestic city that we now love.34- The "Belly of Paris"Built at the end of the twelfth century, the main market of Paris was severely congested and heavily polluted. Several projects are being developed at the start of the 19th century but none are implemented. The renovation is finally entrusted to the architect Victor Baltard. In 1851, a large stone building is erected and quickly nicknamed "le fort de la Halle" by the witty, mocking Parisians. Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte, dissatisfied, orders the destruction of the ugly building and seduced by the architecture of the Gare de l'Est, he wants a similar roof structure for the Halles: "These are large umbrellas that I need, nothing more". The final plan is in the edification of two groups of six pavilions each separated by a street. Baltard is inspired by the shape of 'greenhouses' . Rectangular buildings, iron and glass, are served by wide walkways. Work began in 1854 and the first six houses were inaugurated by Napoleon III in 1858. But the project is again not enough: the Halles handle nearly 8,000 tons of cargo per day. In 1972, they are transferred to the now famous Rungis. The Baltard pavilions are razed to the ground except for one of them transferred to Nogent-sur-Marne.This infrastructure contributed to and solidified the prominence of Paris as Gastronomic Capital of the world by allowing the best food products to reach it quickly and efficiently.35- The DaguerréotypeOn August 19, 1839, during a session at the Institute of France, Louis-Jacques Daguerre presented the first photographic process in history. Inspired by the work of Nicéphore Niepce -who found a way to chemically fix the views of the darkroom- Daguerre obtained a positive image in the darkroom on a copper plate coated with silver and developed in iodine vapours. After a few minutes' exposure, the image is revealed in mercury vapour and fixed by washing with salted water. The process, called "daguerréotype" provides highly sharp images of an astonishing precision for its time.Seduced, Arago extoled its merits to the Chamber of Deputies. The State purchased the patent in order to "freely provide it to the world". Success is immediate and exceeds any expectation. The earliest plates represent stills and landscapes, but the demand quickly takes off for portraits. A "daguerréotypomania" takes hold of the bourgeoisie, artists and intellectuals. Despite its success, its quickly abandoned in favour of other more efficient processes.36- The Beard of Victor HugoVictor Hugo wanted "to be Chateaubriand or nothing". He was a poet, playwright, novelist, academician and politician. He was the most popular writer of his time and remains inseparable from his white beard, "this beautiful cover-it-all" as he called it.His beard now symbolically represents his work: the one of the "Hugolian" hero like Jean Valjean, or of his exile of Guernsey. Because it is during this exile on the British island that the author of "Les Misérables" and the quintessential Parisian book "Notre-Dame de Paris" let his beard grow. The beard of the condemned, it is also the beard of freedom of expression ... or the beard of a feather that raged against Napoléon-le-Petit.37- The Eiffel TowerThe Eiffel Tower was built by engineer Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923) on the occasion of the Universal Exposition of 1889, which celebrated the Centenary of the French Revolution.From the get go, renowned artists vehemently protested against it and the Tower was extremely unpopular in Paris: "this skeleton of belfry "(Verlaine),"this high and skinny pyramid of iron ladders, (...), the base seems to be made to carry a great monument of Cyclops and aborts at its end in a ridiculously thin profile of a factory chimney"(Maupassant)," ... this infundibulary fence, this suppository sieved with holes "(Huysmans). So much so that the authorities promised to dismantle it at the end of the Exposition...But these polemics soon ceased with the success of the popular Tour, and the different scientific labs and radio transmission antennas which benefited from it. At 312 meters high in 1889, it was built in just 2 years, 2 months and 5 days which is a real technical and architectural performance at the time.It has now become THE symbol of Paris, and one of the most well known object in the world.38- Le Moulin RougeOctober 1889. Parisians are discovering, in the heart of Montmartre, a new cabaret, the Moulin Rouge. Inside, a huge dance floor, mirrors everywhere on the outside, a garden with a huge elephant and donkey rides for the ladies! The success is immediate. The Moulin Rouge is the king of musicals where the All-bourgeois Paris comes to be naughty. Painter Toulouse-Lautrec immortalised the life of the Moulin Rouge, its customers, dancers and even drew the posters for the cabaret's promotion.There you can see French Cancan dancers, with black stockings, garters and lace, bewitch the spectators at a time when the female body is scarcely unveiled in society. Many stars will perform there: La Goulue, Mistinguett, Josephine Baker, Maurice Chevalier, later Charles Trenet and Aznavour.A parisian monument, symbolic of its image as the City of Love.39- The CinematographOn December 28, 1895, at the Salon Indien du Grand Café in Paris, Boulevard des Capucines, the first payed public showing of "Cinematographe Lumière" as it was known at the time, takes place. The first ever produced film in history is "The exit of the Lyon Lumiere factory". Auguste and Louis Lumiere in February 1895 filed a patent for a "device for obtaining and visioning photographic chrono tests."The Cinematograph is both a camera and a projector, developed by Louis, with the help of Auguste, perfecting research by Thomas Edison. This innovation seduces from the outset the public in numbers (hundreds of spectators rushed to the Grand Café) and causes a veritable craze during the Belle Epoque. Commercial operations soon will spread throughout the world, after the birth of the first feature film (1896) and the opening of the first cinema studio near Paris in Montreuil-sous-Bois in 1897.40- The Room of Marcel Proust"Many a times I went to bed early…" Proustian time is both that of wakefulness and of sleep. Of a life recomposed by dreams or memories. And so the bedroom is the Proustian place "par excellence".In Search of Lost Time opens with the bedroom in Combray, the childhood bedroom where the narrator turns the world in a subjective fairytale. And the novel ends in the bedroom of Time Regained which releases the narrator to real life, the only life really lived, the literary one. Caulked in his room, the writer revives through the power of image, the myths of childhood.In the lastyears of his life, after the death of his mother and a failed first move, Proust almost never left his room, except for mysterious nocturnal excursions and he wrote every single night, his whole life.41- Le Métropolitain and "Art Nouveau"Paris has one of the densest Metro networks in the world, with 245 stations within the city of Paris and is the second busiest metro system in Europe after Moscow. The first line opened in 1900 and most of it was completed by end of the Twenties. Entrances to stations were designed in art nouveau style by Hector Guimard, Eighty-six of his entrances are still in existence. The Métro is very popular and an absolute "must" for each and every Parisians -as well as tourists!- and its Art Nouveau signs, and streetlights, are recognized around the world.42- The Taxis of the MarneSeptember 6, 1914, while the German front troops are just fifty kilometers from Paris, General Gallieni requisitioned 630 Parisian taxis, most of them Renault AG1s, to send new recruits as reinforcements. Leaving the Place des Invalides in two convoys, September 6 and 7, they carried, at an average speed of 25 km/h, more than 5000 soldiers from the 103rd and 104th Infantry regiments to the war zone at Nanteuil-le-Haudouin and Silly-le-Long. Four to five soldiers are loaded on each taxi some making the whole trip on the outside step. The vehicles requisitioned then returned to the capital where their ride was paid by the State.This event became a symbol of the popular support for the Great War but also a reminder that Paris was almost invaded or destroyed…43- La Tombe du Soldat InconnuHosted at the Arc de Triomphe, a monument erected by Napoleon in homage to the "Grande Armée" and its victories, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is the place of French national memory. Beyond the commemoration of veterans of the First World War, it pays tribute to the sacrifice of all the French soldiers who died for their country, defending its values. For example on November 11, 1940, students demonstrated here their hostility to the German Occupation. The flame of Remembrance is also the flame of the Resistance, of the struggle for freedom and against repression anywhere in the world.Balancing the "barbaric" reputation of the Arc De Triomphe, the Tomb and its symbol propulses the Arc De Triomphe to the forefront of Parisian symbols.44- The Trousers of Coco Chanel"All my art is to cut what others added." Gabrielle Chanel (1883-1971) was not only an uncommon fashion creator, she also became a symbolFrench elegance…and Feminism. She revolutionised feminine clothes. Banishing the corset, using the jersey, she created larger and more flexible tailors, shorter skirts and popularised the wearing of trousers for women which had been prohibited since French Revolution. Her androgynous style, short hair and pants, which became furiously popular in les "Annees Folles" with Josephine Baker amongst others shows a dynamic woman, free of her movement, reclaiming her body without renouncing her feminism.This object can be representative of the prominence of Paris in the world fashion scene.45- Le Vel' d'Hiv'This indoor sporting venue near the Eiffel Tower (cycling track but also ice rink and boxing venue) not only was the famous location of the Pétain-led government's persecution of the Jews in Occupied France (an estimated 13,200 were deported in the Vel' d'Hiv roundup) but even before the war it was the stage for the extreme right activists like Jacques Doriot's PPF - a French fascist party which contributed 3,400 volunteers to the execution of the round-ups. This building is the symbol of the darkest hour in the history of Paris - a time most Parisians and politicians would have rather forgotten… (see Did Charles de Gaulle really say "Vichy was not France?")46- The "2CV"The Citroen 2 CV, the first French mass market small car, "A bicycle with four wheels" as described by its creator is presented to the Motor Show in 1948. It is a quick commercial success for Citroën, due to its formula ( robust, economical and versatile), but also its technical qualities techniques, including its innovative suspension system. It became an object of daily life in Paris of the 1950s and 1960s. The "two-horse" is also a cinema star, featured in "Le Gendarme de Saint-Tropez "or James Bond's "For Your Eyes Only." Car of the youth, affordable and fun, the 2CV is also synonymous with adventure. Large rallies are organised around the world and promote the export of the model. But sales declined in the early 1980s and stop in the early 1990s, in fifty years of production, the 2CV sold more than five million copies, all models combined.The little car could be construed as the symbol of the rapid expansion of Paris after WWII, a phenomenon knows as the "30 Glorieuses" (30 years of non-stop economic growth) which shaped Paris into the Economic capital it is now.47- The "Pavé"After the glory years of the fifties and sixties, Paris is on the verge of yet another revolution. In the night of May 10 to 11, 1968, in the Latin Quarter, students clash with police in full blown street fighting. Cars are burned, windows broken, streets are unpaved, and barricades are erected . The students assail the French riot police (CRS) using the easiest most available weapon at hand, right under their feet, the famous "pavé" or cobblestone. The assault is given in the night and students are scattered in the morning. Used as projectile during the riots of May 1968, the Parisian cobblestone is a cube of granite of about 10 cm by 15 cm, weighing on average 1.5 kg. It is difficult to detach, but rests on a simple bed of sand. The slogan "Under the cobblestone, the beach" is not only a figure of speech!The cobblestones come to represent the mode of expression of a Parisian youth revolting against the authority. Against the generation of their parents, the one which let the Nazis take control of the country and commit atrocities in the name of the French state. Weapon of the "Yéyé" generation, precursors of the "hippies", the Parisian pavé cements (no pun intended) its status in history, after the era of the revolutions (of 1830 and 1848) where it dutifully served to erect barricades and help the insurgents. It represents the inherent rebellion against authority, a visceral Parisian trait also exemplified in the more than numerous strikes and demonstrations staged in Paris, capital of the "Manifestation".48- Pompidou Centre"We are a conservative civilization. The difficulty is to be at the same time creators." That is the goal of President Pompidou when he decides to install on the plateau Beaubourg, in the heart of historical Paris, a stone's throw from Notre-Dame, a "Cultural Center" dedicated to contemporary art and a public library. Passionate about contemporary art, the Head of State is very involved in the project and starts an international architecture competition, won by the Italian Renzo Piano and British Richard Rogers."Art is a way of life, or should at least be" The architecture of the building reflects this ambition. The center is an open space in the city: its west facade, transparent, lets light in and offers, with its electric stairs, a panoramic view of Paris. The function of the building has also guided its design, a very innovative approach at the time: the interior is completely flexible. Unique innovation: the building's service areas, mechanical parts, infrastructure and corridors are all placed outside in large coloured pipes representing each element: blue for air, green for water, yellow for electricity, and red for movement.This building has been one of the most controversial in the history of Paris and has long been an object of hate by many Parisians, its sticks like a sore in the middle of its historical surrounding like the photo shows in the perspective of Notre Dame, Sacré-Coeur and many more. It has also come to represent the intervention of the French State in the Arts and in the landscape of Paris, as shown in a few more objects later on.49- La DéfenseOriginally started in 1958, the real expansion came in the Sixties, and later the Eighties, this is when this "business district" really came to embody the economical heart of Paris, equivalent to the City of London or the Financial District of NYC. The name of the district comes from the statue of "La Défense de Paris" which commemorates the Parisian resistance during the Franco-Prussian War.Its Arch represents the continuation of the "Magic Line": from the Louvres to the Invalides over the Champs-Elysées under the Arc de Triomphe and all the way down to La Défense.50- The TGVThis is maybe the first Object in this History which made Paris "weaker" rather than helped increase its huge power over France. The first ever high speed train implemented in a large scale has been a huge instrument in the Decentralisation of France. This was a political push to decrease the dominance of Paris in political terms (i.e. more powers to local government) and in economical terms. The TGV helped a lot achieve this goal by profoundly changing the infrastructural landscape of the country, so indirectly this object had a huge influence in the history of Paris.50- Pyramide of the LouvreAlready evoked in the Napoleonic era, the Louvre Pyramid is inaugurated by President Mitterrand on March 30, 1989, the bicentennial yearof the French Revolution and of its sumptuous commemorations. 21.5 meters high on a square base of 35 meters side, the Louvre Pyramid rises in the middle of the Napoleon Court. Its proportions are the same as those of the pyramids of Egypt, but it is made of glass and steel. Unlike its ancient predecessors, the Louvre Pyramid is not a tomb which closes on itself but the new entrance to a museum completely refurbished and resized to join the ranks of the global flagships of culture. The Sino-American architect IM Pei has deliberately chosen a very barebones geometric shapes to form a perfect alliance between the classicism of the Napoleon Court and the addition of a pyramid of avant-garde style that breaks the harmony of existing measures. This daring architectural choice raised mountains of criticism. It gaves rise toa battle between Ancients and Moderns, which quickly overflowed to political grounds, opponents were not hesitant to dub the President "Tontonkhamon" or "Mitterramses".Contrary to the Pompidou Centre, the perspective from the Louvre to the Arc de Triomphe was not disfigured, in fact it was enhanced, and so the Pyramid was quickly accepted as a full-fledged work of art. Its popularity ever increasing.50- The TramwayThis recent object symbolises as a fundamental shift in the way public transport was managed for more than a century in Paris. Recently Tramway lines have opened when the "Métro" was so omnipotent. Another interesting aspect is the way the Tram lines are built connecting parallel, and previously disconnected areas of Paris and suburbs where the Metro always favoured a "center-to-periphery" approach. The Tram introduces a radically different approach. It also means a long overdue restoration of the "Marechaux", large avenues parallel to the "Peripherique" which are some the least beautiful areas of Paris, to say the least.50- "Paris Plages" and Vélib'This represents the latest development in a changing Paris and has been a huge success: in the summer the banks of the river Seine are reclaimed from the "automobile" and given back to the Parisians in a makeshift "beach" environment. This program symbolises the strong push to change the way Parisians use their cars and the need for a more environmental urban approach. Combined with the sensationally popular launch and deployment of the "Vélib'" program, the cheap and easy to self-rent bikes these two "objects" could redefine the Paris of the future…_______Musée Carnavalet - Histoire de la ville de Paris