Véritable chaise des jardins parisiens restaurée.
Google translation: “Chair of the true Parisian gardens restored.”
The Parisian shop Le Prince Jardinier is mentioned by Natalia Hill in her piece “Get Stuffed — The Animal Wonderland of Deyrolle,” found on the Huffington Post. I never pass on an opportunity to read about this fabled Parisian taxidermy/natural history shop dating back to 1831, which was nearly lost in a devastating fire in 2008.
Photo of interior from Deyrolle found here.
In her article, Ms. Hill mentions that a garden shop, Le Prince Jardinier, is on the ground floor of Deyrolle and gives a brief history of the chairs:
“These garden chairs adorned the grounds of the famous Luxembourg, Tuileries and Palais Royal gardens for over 80 years (1923-2005).
Parisians over generations would have enjoyed their use. In 2005, the chairs were mostly in disrepair and about to be thrown away.”
It was Prince Louis-Albert de Broglie, who bought Deyrolle in 2001, who also stepped in to restore the Parisian park chairs.
“CUSTOM Available only in the color of your choice: black, dark green, green amazonite, chrome, blue, yellow, red, pink … Transport costs on request.
(Disponible SUR COMMANDE uniquement dans la couleur de votre choix: noir, vert foncé, vert amazonite, chrome,bleu, jaune, rouge, rose… Frais de transports sur devis.)”
Simone de Beauvoir (“I wanted to talk about these things. I wanted to talk about all sorts of things with people who, unlike Jacques, wouldn’t let their sentences trail away at the ends.” Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter) probably talked up a storm in one of these chairs. Supply the name of your favorite writer, painter, poet, philosopher, and they’ve probably passed away an afternoon in a chair very similar to this.
And then there’s what photographer Andre Kertesz did with the chairs at the Luxembourg Gardens. Like a gardener, a photographer never actually sits in a garden chair. Not for long. Which is probably why I don’t hanker after pricy chaises and oversized lounge furniture for the garden, which only steal precious space from plants, but hard, expressive little chairs like these.
Photos from Chasing Light
My husband says I have a “chair thing.” Right now, I have two ancient garden sling chairs from England waiting for me to get around to renewing their fabric. French garden chairs are even better, as Kertesz so evocatively illustrates.
Jane, I so have a “chair thing” too, with many ancient chairs awaiting paint and repair. Funny, that I love to play in the garden, but not so much repairing stuff.
Le Prince Jardinier , L’ART DE VIVRE AUTOUR DU JARDIN .