A City of Ideas
Cities are built upon ideas. These ideas coalesce into narratives and myths that form a neural network of urban life. Though rooted in the past, these ideas continue to guide and challenge us today.
Jean le Rond d'Alembert,
Enlightenment philosophe
Upcoming Presentation
"Paris Goods"
Audio version
Since Medieval times, travelers have come to Paris seeking les articles de Paris, the superior "Paris goods" produced there by guild artisans. They still do.
In this exploration, we will look at images and records of commerce on the bridges and quais and in the marketplaces of the fast-growing city.
Retailing exploded in the 19th century, with the industrial revolution, the rising wealth of the bourgeoisie, and the advent of steam travel and tourism that brought shoppers from afar.
New venues of commerce emerged at that time:
Les passages couverts, the gas-lit arcades where shopping went from the streets to indoors and became a social activity.
Les magasins de nouveautés, novelty stores that, for the first time, offered a variety of goods under one roof.
Soon after came the debut and proliferation of les grands magasins, immense department stores that provided a dazzling, theatrical experience and where all social classes mixed.
With these enormous new venues came new practices in management and business: fixed prices, immediate payment, merchandising and marketing, advertising and brand development.
Today, “Paris Goods” remain at the apex of unsurpassed quality, luxury and branding.
But, as we’ll examine, the ultimate brand…may be Paris itself.
Register for:
“Paris Goods: Luxury Retailing and the Emergence of les Grands Magasins”
April 9 at 4pm EDT
Above, left: La Galerie Dior
Latest Newsletter
"Humbly Immortalized"
It is an honor to be remembered for a scientific breakthrough, like Louis Pasteur for pasteurization. Then there are those who are immortalized for everyday objects found on the streets of Paris. In one example: Why is a trashcan named for a diplomat?
Also
"How Are Street Names Chosen in Paris?"
Zoom presentation on You Tube
"Lafayette's Farewell Tour"
This year marks the 200th anniversary of the return to America of this "Hero of Two Worlds," a French nobleman who embraced the American cause--and who struggled at home to uphold the principles of the Revolution.
Presented in association with the Alliance Française
Recent Newsletter
The Paris That Never Was
Paris has been long subject to redesign, renovation and fantastical transformation. Here are a number of grand idées that never came to pass.
Examined in this issue:
Futuristic imagined in design and in literature.
Recently posted for viewing
"D-Day and the Soul of France"
An Exploration of Narratives 80 Years Hence
with Roger Mummert
and Iris de Rode, PhD
Eighty years ago, a colossal undertaking by Allied forces turned back the tide of Nazi aggression and ended a four-year occupation of France.
Understanding this momentous chapter in French and American history compels us to reexamine the narratives that over time have become mythical.
We question the narratives of "American Exceptionalism," the "Flame of Resistance" and look at the role of nationalism in the emergence of a modern Europe still defining itself today.
Recorded June 5, 2024, at the Embassy of France in the United States, Washington, D.C.
View on You Tube
On You Tube:
“Myths and Mysteries of the Bastille”
with Roger Mummert
The storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, is emblematic of the French Revolution and the triumph of citizens over state tyranny.
This popular uprising marked the end of the ancien régime and the emergence of France as a modern democratic republic. But as happens with historical turning points, the Bastille has attracted a myriad of political and ideological interpretations.
"Myths and Mysteries of the Bastille" explores how a medieval fortress and prison became a worldwide symbol of state tyranny. At the same time, the Bastille uprising 234 years ago was achieved largely by working people and immigrants--and without leadership from the Revolutionary elite.
View on You Tube
About this Website
Paris is a city where one can slip between cracks in time, and the ideas of all ages, ancienne and moderne, can be experienced at once.
I invite you to explore with me the myriad of ideas—of enlightenment and equality, romanticism and deconstructionism, bohemianism and haute couture—that originated in Paris or flourished there.
—Roger Mummert
View from Esplanade les Invalides
