Monday 16 April 2012

Past and Present No. 6: Charonne


This little exercise in comparison is located in Charonne in north-east Paris, described in loving detail in parisinvisible as the last authentic village in Paris. The church of Saint-Germain de Charonne has retained all its character as a village parish church and almost uniquely in Paris still stands in its own burial ground. The postcard and photograph are separated by a century and apart from the removal of the cast iron vespasienne almost nothing has changed. The church is on rue de Bagnolet, almost opposite the former Gare de Charonne (now a nightclub) served by the long defunct Petite Ceinture orbital railway. The photograph below shows the tracks of la Petite Ceinture disappearing into the gloom of the tunnel in the direction of Ménilmontant.

No comments: