[Discovering the Obscure] Finding the Buried History of Paris I

Paris is known for its rich history, a city of lights that has been literally lit since its fortification by Celtic tribes in the 3^rd century BC. From thence forward, the momentum the Parigots have taken on to build what is known collectively as the art mecca of the world is one still today unprecedented. Gustave Eiffel raised his tower over Napoleon III’s inspired city in 1889 during the World Fair at Champ de Mars. The Louvre, undoubtedly the greatest collection of masterpieces predating every renaissance art has roamed in and out of, stands in its very spot where construction began in 1202 and finally established in 1793 in the 1^st arrondissment, garnering a reputation that if one is to see every painting and every wing, it would take an estimated 3-4 days. The Roue de Paris, a traveling Ferris wheel on the Place de la Concorde, stands 200 feet tall, a structure that can be erected in 72 hours and dismantled in 60, adding to the romanticism of Paris as rides at night over Paris are said to induce lifelong companionships. Nothing less than extravagant too, the Catacombs in the 14^th Arrondissment, the Pompidou in the 1^st, the Bastille in the 11^th, and Sacre-Coeur in Montmartre (the 18^th arrondissment).

But what about the forgotten structure, locations, events, all of which just as spectacular visions as the tourist attracting aforementioned, all now gone or are going into disrepair?

The Chateau Rothschild was erected in 1855 for the Rothschild family. By 1934, the Chateau was left abandoned, though the family still maintained the grounds which once held the footprints of figures as Fredric Chopin. When the Nazis took Paris, the Kriegsmarine took possession of it and in 1944, US forces took occupation as Paris was being liberated. Though it was purchased by a Saudi Prince in 1986, the purchase was only one of esthetics, as the chateau still sits on its very grounds, falling deeper into disrepair.

[Notes on reaching the Chateau Rothschild from the Hotel Monte Carlo on 44 Rue Du Faubourg-Montmartre]

1)     Walk about 7 minutes to the metro station at Richelieu-Drouot

2)     Take the 8 line (Purple) towards Balard for 7 stops

3)     Your stop is La Motte-Picquet, Grenelle

4)     Take the 10 line (Yellow) towards Boulogne/Pont de St. Cloud for 8 stops

5)     The Chateau Rothschild overlooks the Park Boulogne-Edmond de Rothschild, a popular area where families picnic. The structure overlooks the park and it’s impossible to miss.

Human Zoos, however appalling and shocking today, were world attraction at World Fairs. It was true in 1851 in London, again in 1889 in Paris, 1893 in Chicago and in 1904 in St. Louis. The gimmick was to bring Pygmies, unfamiliar cultures and tribes from around the world by way of kidnapping mainly, cage them with usually Chimpanzees or Gorillas and bill them themselves as animals from the dark, enchanted forest and lands of savages and unnatural creatures.

Find the location of this human zoo is quite a task, namely due to its location in the commune of Vincennes on the outskirts of Paris and the fact that most Parisiennes of today are oblivious to there having ever been such a loathsome exhibition in their beloved hometown. Another reason is that public transportation, while available, is not as active in Vincennes as it is in the inner arrondissments of Paris. To add, the site which once held the Human zoo during the Paris World Fair is well concealed near a school of botany and an intermediate school. The site is called Jardin d’Agronomie Tropicale and as anyone who has made it a hobby or interest in locating sites no longer on mainstream radar, it’ll involve some investigative work, interviews and a knowledge of reading handwritten maps and a bit of athleticism (the rises of Vincennes are infamous).