Haussmann's Account:
Mémoires du Baron Haussmann
By Georges-Eugène Haussmann
(1890-1893)
Georges-Eugène Haussmann (1809-1891) wrote a three-volume memoir totaling 1,717 pages—and his ego shines through on pretty much every one of them. He regards the “transformation of Paris” into a magnificent city as “a complete success.”
Haussmann settles scores with legislators and functionaries he treated with disdain and often kept in the dark. One section is titled “critiques, oppositions, resistances,” and according to Haussmann he pretty much vanquished them all.
His memoir is remarkably detailed, with budgets and expenditures exact down to the last centime. And this is fortuitous, as the city’s records of the renovation were lost in 1871 when the Communards burned l’Hotel de Ville.
On occasion, Haussmann pauses his self-praise to spread a few breadcrumbs of appreciation for his staff. Their accounts follow.
"Mémoires du Baron Haussmann" is a prime information source on the renovation, despite a reputation-burnishing agenda.
Alphand's Account:
Les Promenades de Paris
By Adolph Alphand
(1867-1873)
Adolph Alphand (1817-1891) was an engineer who headed the Corps of Bridges and Roads. He was named director of the newly created Service des Promenades et Plantations. As such, he oversaw the creation of new parks, notable the Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes at the western and eastern edges of the city. His contribution to a greener Paris was profound.
Les Promenade de Paris comprises five oversized volumes richly illustrated with maps, engravings, designs, and lovely color plates of plants and trees.
Alphand made a major contribution to greening Paris.
Vacherot's Account
(of Barillet-Deschamps):
Les Parcs et Jardins Au Commencement du XXe Siècle
Ecole Francais (Barillet-Deschamps)
By Jules Vacherot
(1908)
This book presents the principles of gardens and parks design espoused by Jean-Pierre Barillet-Deschamps (1824-1873) a horticulturist and landscape architect who served as Chief Gardener of Paris under the renovation. The book is written by Jules Vacherot, who himself served as Chief Gardener in subsequent decades.
Barillet-Deschamps designed and planted the greenery of the Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes, among other new parks. He also redesigned the Jardins de Luxembourg and oversaw the planting of trees along new boulevards.
Barillet-Deschamps introduced English style gardens to Paris, which provided a more natural counterpart to formal French gardens. His gardens and promenades influenced urban parks around the world. The book is filled with photographs and drawings.
Barillet-Deschamps introduced English style gardens as a more natural counterpoint to formal French gardens.
Davioud's Account:
Le Bois de Boulogne Architectural
Des Embellishments Executé dans son Enceinte et ses Arbres
Sous le directions de MM
Gabrielle Davioud, architecte
Adolphe Alphand, chief engineer
Dessins par Theodore Vacquer, architecte
(1860)
Jean-Antoine-Gabrielle Davioud (1824-1881) was an architect who designed structures in the parks: benches, pavilions, bandstands, fountains, lampposts, signposts, fences, balustrades, jetties.
Many of the designs we think of as French came from his drawing board. Davioud was influenced by Moorish motifs in vogue at the time, but we now identify his work with Belle Époque Paris.
This account, in five oversized volumes, is wonderfully illustrated.
Much of what we think is French comes from Davioud.
Belgrand's Account:
Les Travaux Souterraines de Paris
Five books, two atlases
By Eugène Belgrand
(1873-1887)
Eugène Belgrade (1810-1878) played an essential role in transforming Paris, though most of his work remains out of sight, in underground water pipes and sewer systems. He created a comprehensive sewer system so cutting edge that boat tours of les egouts de Paris were all the rage during the city’s exhibitions in the latter 19th century.
Belgrand was a true water-wonk, and his memoir is hardly fun reading. Its multiple volumes exceed 2,000 pages, many of them filled with rainfall charts and tedious measurements. Of greater interest are illustrations of sewer tunnels, pipes, pumps, dredges, wagons and boats: the guts of the system.
In addition to sewers, Belgrand developed a system to bring pure spring water to Paris for drinking and for watering the city’s new greenery. The book depicts and illustrates water sources and delivery systems back to Roman aqueducts.
Also included, as a kind of fun bonus, are reproductions of royal decrees by Francois I, Catherine de Medici, Henri IV and others for commissions to provide Paris with water and fountains.
Belgrand’s memoir cements his place in history as seminal and (ironically) a bit dry: The titles of his volumes: “La Seine,” “Les Eaux,” (the waters) “Les Anciennes Eaux,” “Les Eaux Nouvelles,” “Les Egouts, Les Vidanges” (sewers and drainage pipes), and “Memoire l’Assainissement de Paris) or “Memoir of the Sanitation of Paris.”
Belgrand had a major impact in the renovation of Paris, though most of his work remains out of sight, in sewers and water pipes.