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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2013 21:51:56 GMT
The Palais de la Porte Dorée ("Palace of the Golden Gate") was built in 1931 for the Colonial Exposition, and in my opinion, it is one of the finest examples of architecture of its epoch, in spite of its total rectangular symmetry. Unlike most of the pavilions of the Colonial Exposition, it was built as a permanent structure. Its first name was "Museum of the Colonies" but, believe it or not, political correctness was already at work and in 1935 it was renamed the "Museum of Overseas France." In 1960, decolonisation was imminent across most of the world, so the new name became "Museum of African and Oceanian Art." It finally closed in 2003 and most of the contents became part of the Quai Branly museum next to the Eiffel Tower. There was a lot of controversy about what to call this place, too. President Chirac's code name was the "Museum of Primitive Arts" but that was certainly inappropriate in a PC context, so in the end it just received the name of its address. And the Palais de la Porte Dorée was suddenly empty, except for the aquarium in its basement. This was a real shame for such a fine building. It is along one of only two palm lined streets in Paris. Anyway, in 2007, it finally reopened as the Cité nationale de l'histoire de l'immigration -- the museum of immigration.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2013 22:23:27 GMT
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Post by lagatta on Sept 6, 2013 0:11:22 GMT
Yes, that is a stunning building, and the reflection in the light is dazzling. (I've seen it as friends work nearby, but have never been inside, as it was closed at the time). With time, they should be able to find more displays - obviously the problem is that migrants, by definition, travel light.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2013 12:39:37 GMT
There were a lot of displays of the living conditions of immigrants, particularly the massive housing projects of the 60's ans 70's. Police have become very strict now about not overloading cars, but it was not always the case. While most people can take little more than the clothes on their back, sometime a precious item is considered essential. The rooms of immigrant workers are rarely joyous. These bags can contain half of a person's life.
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Post by htmb on Sept 6, 2013 20:32:47 GMT
I'm looking forward to seeing more.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2013 5:58:37 GMT
Obviously it is a museum that exists for educational purposes rather than as a place to just look at pretty or old things. I imagine that during the school year, it must be absolutely full of school groups.
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Post by tod2 on Sept 7, 2013 6:03:41 GMT
What a wonderful visit! I will definitely like to see it for myself next trip. Besides all the history, facts and figures there are so many beautiful antiques on display, like the old typewriter, sewing machine and Limoges dinner plates. Fabulous, thanks so much for guiding us through it.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2013 9:45:38 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2013 15:23:25 GMT
The large inner patio is definitely in need of something impressive to put there, but it is a very nice space in itself -- and probably useful for all of those school groups, including their bag lunches.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2013 15:33:01 GMT
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Post by tod2 on Sept 8, 2013 18:46:28 GMT
This place is growing on me more and more with every set of new photos! The aquarium looks wonderful and it is fantastic to see everything so well maintained and not going to wreck and ruin as is in the case of so many countries sporting aquariums or zoos. Is this because it's Paris, or is it a high French standard throughout France?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2013 19:16:54 GMT
It is too soon for me to make a pronouncement about that. The "big" Paris zoo opened in 1931 just down the street from the Palais de la Porte Dorée and closed in 2008 because it was horribly outdated and rundown. If we're lucky it will reopen in 2014 after total renovation and also the permanent removal of all the animals who cannot decently live in confinement. In any case just about all of the animals except the herd of giraffes which has lived there since the 1930's are being boarded at other zoos around Europe in the meantime.
Nevertheless, I am pretty sure that the new zoo will be spectacular.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 9, 2013 11:36:43 GMT
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Post by JohnKnight on Mar 21, 2014 23:09:34 GMT
The aquarium is spectacular. The fish, plants, and corals seem happy and healthy. They are vibrant in a way I've never seen outside of healthy natural ecosystems. I've never seen an aquarium where the tanks were so alive. The organisms are literally growing out of the tanks, they're so strong and healthy. Whoever manages these tanks is exceptional. I wonder if part of why these tanks are so great is that they may be very old. I wouldn't be surprised if they've been in continuous operation since the building was put into service. It is not a big aquarium compared to others, but it has the highest density of healthy, happy organisms I've ever seen in a non-natural environment.
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Post by lugg on Mar 22, 2014 18:55:17 GMT
That does indeed look like an interesting aquarium. The outside walls of the museum are lovely but the walls inside in your last photos really captured my eye.
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 22, 2015 15:34:16 GMT
It appears I might not have been the only person to miss this fascinating thread. What a sensitive and brilliant re-use of what could have been an offensive reminder of historic attitudes. And the architecture -- fabulous! The outer walls alone constitute a museum of art deco sculpture.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2015 15:56:36 GMT
I almost returned there this week but just as I was passing by, a huge group of tiny tots from a day centre was being herded out, so I decided that I will return when everybody is back in school and to be sure to go at opening time, because the school groups get there a bit later.
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Post by lagatta on Aug 24, 2015 14:35:27 GMT
I missed the update before the most recent post, and it was very funny seeing the African fabric people (?) in a boat floating on a sea of empty wine bottles.
And a question - can palm trees really grow in Paris? I know there are microclimates in the UK where they can grow - Cornwall? I don't recall seeing any palms rooted in the soil in the northern half of France.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2015 18:40:41 GMT
There are plenty of palm trees everywhere in France, but you will not find any with long fronds (like coconut palms or date palms) in northern France, except in crates that are brought inside for the winter. The Luxembourg gardens have a number of these, and they also show up in places like the Tuileries from time to time or in various botanical gardens.
But palmettos (fan palms) are very common in the north, and there are a few streets in Paris that are lined with them, as well as being present in a lot of public parks. They can handle freezing temperatures to a certain extent, but even in the southern United States, they are sometimes killed by a cold snap.
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Post by lagatta on Aug 28, 2015 0:19:57 GMT
I've definitely seen true palms at Luxembourg, and also le Jardin des Plantes if I recall correctly.
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Post by lola on Sept 4, 2015 17:33:09 GMT
Like that last boat n bottles one a lot as art and comment.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2015 20:19:17 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2015 20:28:53 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2015 20:42:03 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2015 20:52:42 GMT
Since this museum was originally the Museum of the Colonies and then the Museum of Overseas France and then the Museum of the Arts of Africa and Oceania, there is section devoted to showing how some subjects were treated back then. I have to admit that when I was a little boy, my mother still talked about her trip to Paris to see the 1931 Colonial Exhibition when she was 7 years old with stars in her eyes. And I readily admit that the most important reason that I had for going to Angkor Wat in Cambodia the first time was because the wooden replica that had been built of it in Paris for the show was the thing that had impressed her the most.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2015 21:00:01 GMT
If anybody is interested in the song illustrating my video, it is by the French singer Faudel, who was born of Algerian immigrant parents in the suburbs of Paris.
Je n'connais pas ce soleil Qui brûle les dunes sans fin Je n'connais pas d'autre terre Que celle qui m'a tendu la main Et si un jour, je pars d'ici Que je traverse le désert
Pour aller voir d'où vient ma vie Dans quelles rues jouait mon père Moi qui suis né près de Paris Sous tout ce vent, toute cette pluie Je n'oublierai jamais mon pays Et si demain, comme aujourd'hui Je dois faire le tour de la terre Pour chanter au monde mes envies Voyager des années entières Moi qui suis né tout près d'ici Meme si je quitte mes amis Je n'oublierai jamais mon pays Trop de souvenirs gravés De cours d'écoles et d'étés Trop d'amour pour oublier Que c'est ici que je suis né Trop de temps abandonné Sur les bancs de ma cité Trop d'amis pour oublier Que c'est ici que je suis né Je n'connais pas ce parfum De menthe et de sable brûlant Mais seul'ment les embruns Sous les rouleaux de l'océan Et toi qui me trouves un peu mat Pour ces rues bordées de prairies Un peu trop blanc, couleur d'Euphrate Pour ces poèmes que j'ai appris Tu es bien le seul que j'oublie Telle l'étoile, fidèle à la nuit Je n'oublierai jamais mon pays Trop de souvenirs gravés De cours d'écoles et d'étés Trop d'amour pour oublier Que c'est ici que je suis né Trop de temps abandonné Sur les bancs de ma cité Trop d'amis pour oublier Que c'est ici que je suis né Et comme toi j'attends la pluie Pour lui dire toutes mes peines Tout comme toi, je lui souris Quand elle tombe sur la plaine Trop de souvenirs gravés De cours d'écoles et d'étés Trop d'amour pour oublier Que c'est ici que je suis né Trop de temps abandonné Sur les bancs de ma cité Trop d'amis pour oublier Que c'est ici que je suis né
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 4, 2015 22:24:36 GMT
Excellent, Kerouac, excellent. Of course your timing is perfect and what you show of the museum from the beginning until now maintains its air of hope and poignance. The video truly makes it all even more immediate & the song chosen is perfect. I had to put it into the Translate engine of course, but even with that mangling its power came through.
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