Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Les Grands Magasins Dufayel

Les Grands Magasins Dufayel, a department store owned by Georges Dufayel at No. 7 Boulevard Barbes in Paris, France. Dufayel purchased Le Grand Magasin des Nouveautés upon the death of the store's owner in 1888 and set upon a series of extensive enlargements over the next 20 years including a theatre, cinema, winter garden and cycling track. By the early 20th century the store employed 15,000 people. Dufayel died in 1916, the store closed in 1930 and large portions of it have since been demolished. Click HERE for more on Les Grands Magasins Dufayel and for current photographs. What's left of Dufayel's store has been incorporated into a bank building, click HERE to see it on google street view.









Photos from Architectural Record, 1902.

13 comments:

Old Grey Dog said...

Alexander Turney Stewart would have understood !

archibuff said...

Beats the local mall by a mile. A.T. Stewart knew how to impress his shoppers as well did Strauss and the many early founders of such shopping emporiums as Siegel-Copper, O'Neills,, Adams Dry Goods, Lord and Taylors and Altmans in NYC to name but a few. Now one rushes into a Big Box warehouse store or a Walmart. Depressingly banal indeed.

Zach L. said...

Could you imagine a staircase like that in the middle of a Target? Les Grands Magasins Targét.

archibuff said...

Very sad really, we expect so little these days from our built environment. We walk around almost immune to the fact that with few exeptions we just dont care about building anything of lasting value. We live in a vinyl/dry-vit/fiberglass/styrofoam/plastic age.

archibuff said...

Also last post, promise, lol, but thanks for the google link, I took a left turn at Restaurant GiGi this morning and took a leisurely drive around Paris.

Zach L. said...

On the flip side...could you imagine spending your day at Target not to buy anything but instead to take in the incredible architecture?

That thought gives me a chuckle.

From La Belle Époque to Le Rabais Époque.

JohnM said...

You guys are too hard on Target! Why, just look at this fabulous staircase:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brookenp/5493013732/

Tina said...

Wow,that staircase is incredible! Just imagine how long it must have taken the ladies to get dressed and ready just to go shopping in that magnificent place.

The Down East Dilettante said...

Zach, I spend much of my life avoiding having to go to Target and its brethen. I'd be far more likely to become a power shopper if this were my option (speaking of which, ever been in the old Wanamaker's store in Philadelphia? It's organ court is shopping of a high order.

How wonderful is this building. The French did Belle Epoque lush better than anybody. They owned it.

The Ancient said...

Just remember -- the price of this building was passed along to Dufayel's customers.

Parisian Fields said...

You might be interested in the link between the Dufayel department store and the life of George Melies, as depicted in the movie "Hugo." http://parisianfields.wordpress.com/2012/01/01/discovery-in-a-dairy-shed/

The link is through the architect who enlarged the Grands Magasins Dufayel -- Gustave Rives. He also designed the Hotel Astoria in Paris. http://parisianfields.wordpress.com/2011/10/30/one-address-many-stories/

Was this Belle Epoque hotel ever featured in Architectural Record?

HART said...

WW11 my military police Company was operating out of DUFAYEL. Of course it was not full of merchandise or open to the public. Before we were stationed there the Germans used it. Interestingly, the staircase was closed off and we had to walk up to our sleeping quarters. At only 17 yrs. old it was still a great experience for me though.

Unknown said...

Hello Hart
I am a french journalist and some years ago i wrote an article about the story of dufayel département store and now i want to write a book about it. Have you some photography of this department store during Ww11? Best regards
Annick amarannick@gmail.com