Paris:- Friday, 11. October 1996:- Since I spend so much time walking around Paris' neighborhoods, and then coming back to look at my books for their histories - I thought the current exposition of 'Paris des Faubourgs' at the Pavillon de l'Arsenal would increase the depth of my knowledge.

Today, this un-snappy beginning ended on an unequal note: snappy. As in snappy quick tour.

The Pavillon de l'Arsenal is a specialized exhibit centre -almost entirely devoted to Paris' urban growth and its transformations. There are large three-dimensional models of the whole, of parts, many photographs, some paintings, some posters - and a great many land-usage maps.

The total of this is an interesting and useful display - of great interest to city planners, historians and architects - but, except for many of the photos and posters, it is not too exciting for the casual visitor.

The current temporary exposition is an example of this. Although there are many excellent photos of Paris' old quarters, neighborhoods - or 'faubourgs' - there are too many planner's drawings of land usage and transformation projects. There is, but I did not see, a central audio-visual area where there is a projection of old postcards and photos, with a selection of paintings done between the World Wars.

I have made land-usage maps myself - for another city - so you might think I would want to rave about these, but that is not the case. They make sense to people 'in the business,' but otherwise they are pretty boring. It is also one reason I quit doing them. I had to prepare a new set every time the planning department made a presentation to the city council; and then I had to re-do them with the new changes after every one of these meetings. The version numbers drove me crazy too.

But behind this exposition, -- and the poster in front of it --there is a bit of news. The powers-that-are in the City of Paris now believe that the 'faubourgs' are worth saving.

Beginning in the 1850's, Baron Haussemann took on the job of 'cleaning Paris up' by whacking great thoroughfares through higgledy-piggledy ad-hoc neighborhoods that were often less than sanitary; and cleared a way for the growing bourgeois class to have their imposing residences that you see on the 'grands boulevards' today. The busy Baron was everywhere, and he gets mentioned quite often in this magazine.

During the ten years between 1894 and 1904, a survey was done that found 17 unsanitary 'islands' in the city. In 1957, an investigation resulted in the selection of 1,500 hectares for renovation. A new report done in 1974 concluded that a legitimate response to the success of 19th century 'Haussemannism,' would be 'neo-Haussemannism.'

Apparently the wheel of colossal renovations - mainly characterized by demolitions - has today turned, in a human direction.

Paris already has its 'grands boulevards,' Paris has its world-famous monuments - now Paris intends to 'save' its characteristic neighborhoods. This may be illusionary, because these quarters housed the working class and provided the working spaces for the huge variety of artisans. 'Illusionary,' because many of both have been forced to quit the city - and renovation of these areas of character may merely provide yet more lodging opportunities for - who else? - the bourgeois.

After surviving Haussemann, after surviving 'brutal' renovations, the survival of the remaining 'faubourgs' is an imperative for providing the city with variety; because once they are lost, they can not be recaptured.

This has little to do with blind nostalgia for the past; these neighborhoods give diverse identities to the city as a whole. These areas of incoherence will save the city from becoming a logical and monotonous totality, giving it local intimacies and a greater depth of view.

This means that each 'faubourg' that survives the 'selection' will require its own individual treatment, its own specific project - without being different merely for the sake of eccentric difference. Conservation without nostalgia, is, in effect transformation.

For those interested, a visit to the 'Paris des Faubourgs' at the Pavillon de l'Arsenal is recommended. For this report, I could not take photos of copyright photos and plans - so I left and walked about 200 metres to a 'faubourg.' As it is the small area between the Quai des Célestins and the rue de Rivoli and St. Antoine, in the fourth arrondissement, it would probably more correct to call it a 'pre-faubourg' - a quarter where the centre of business was religion.

The locations of the photographs with this piece, are, in descending order:

From the boulevard Henri IV, I turn into the rue de la Cerisaie, which was first opened in 1544. The low building on the corner of the rue du Petit-Musc was once the location of an office for the temporal effects of the members of the Convent des Célestins. The rue du Petit-Musc was opened in 1358 and was called variously 'Pute-y-Muse' or 'Pute-y-Musse.' On some 16th century maps it is called Célestins. Victor Hugo had room in a hotel in this street, for visits from a friend from the bakery on corner of rue de la Cerisaie.

I go left and around the corner and up the rue Beautreillis and left into the rue Neuve Saint-Pierre; the western half was an old passage and short-cut from rue Saint-Paul to the cemetery, bypassing the church, but this first part was opened in 1912. The south side of the street was the north side of old cemetery Saint-Paul.

The Passage Saint-Paul is just to the right, but I go down the rue Saint-Paul to the rue Charlemagne, which is really old, being part of a trace from the seventh century. It was called Poulies-St-Paul (13th C) and l'Archet-St-Paul (13-15th C), and in 1844 received its present name because of the nearby lycée Charlemagne.

While passing one way or the other on the rue Saint-Paul, the view into the rue Charlemagne has often arrested me, but I think this may be the first time I've photographed it. It either looks like the photo here, taken today; at other times I have passed there are no people at all in sight.

Back up the rue Saint-Paul just a few steps, and there is the present rue Eginhard, not much more than a tiny passage. It looks like dead-end until I go in, and see that it opens onto the rue Charlemagne. For such a little space, it too has had its names: it was called the ruelle Neuve-Saint-Paul (13th C) and Neuve-Sainte-Anastase from 17th century. Eginhard was a Charlemagne historian and his name was given to it in 1864. The house at the numbers 1 and 3, was built in 1650, by the builder of the Saint-Paul church. The whole area seems to have had something to do with this church.

As I said, just a little stroll - and probably not in a certified 'real' faubourg. I am saving visits to these for later, but not so late that all of them are 'renovated' first.

Expo: Paris des Faubourgs, until December.
Pavillon de l'Arsenal
Paris' Urban Planning, Architectural and Documentation Centre
21, boulevard Morland, Paris 4.
Métro: Sully-Morland or Bastille. Closed Mondays.
Shop has books, catalogues of the present and past shows; there is a documentation service with slides, films, photos - there are conferences, tours, and periodic events.
Tel.: 42 76 33 97.