This weekend I am in New York, speaking at Columbia University as part of the Urban History Association’s annual conference. I’ll be discussing the idea of cosmopolitanism as it relates to urban planning in the first years of the Second Empire (1852-1855). An excerpt of my talk appears below.
Continue reading Cosmopolitanism in the Culture and Planning of Second Empire Paris
Henri Labrouste is not among nineteenth century architects best known by the general public. He is, however, one of architects’ favorite architects of the period. Last week an exhibition dedicated to Labrouste opened at the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine. An opportunity, hopefully, to bring Labrouste to his rightful prominence.
Photographs of Paris by Julia Lotito
There continue to be many new visitors to this site. I thought it was a good time to bring to attention a number of posts from the past year that don’t appear in the “most popular” list, but generated interest when they came out. There is more to be discovered, either through the “category” links in the sidebar or just by going back in time through the posts…
I am pleased to announce the details of the release of my book, Paris Reborn: Napoléon III, Baron Haussmann, and the Quest to Build a Modern City.
The Place Joachim du Bellay, a stone’s throw from Les Halles, is a popular crossroads for people to just hang out. But unbeknownst to many of its current users, this little square has an extraordinarily deep and textured history. It is a premiere example of how Paris today is the sum of many layers of remarkable and at times unexpected history.
Quite apart from the grand fixtures of the Paris museum scene, in a small street in the IXth arrondissement, the more adventurous will find an intimate museum dedicated to the nineteenth century and specifically to the Romantic sensibility.
Photographs of Bologna by Stephane Kirkland
Photographs of Rimini, Italy by Stephane Kirkland
Photographs of Florence, Italy by Stephane Kirkland
