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Post by Anne on Oct 13, 2007 11:28:57 GMT -5
We had a thread recently about Art Nouveau . Now I have found this small museum that I had never heard of : la collection 1900 de Pierre Cardin chez Maxim's . It appears that Pierre Cardin (owner of Maxims) is a great collectionneur of Art Nouveau items, and he has created in the Maxims buiding a museum featuring a three floors-twelve rooms courtisane appartment from the Belle Epoque, with more than 550 (seemingly superb) items . Visiting this museum is also an opportunity to go through Maxims restaurant, with its amazing Ecole de Nancy décors . Visits are guided-only, at 2pm, 3.15pm and 4.30pm from Wed till Sun . Booking ahead is required . The price is a bit stiff (15 euros), but the place looks great . You can also book a visit + fixed-menu lunch at the great price of 110 euros (!), but I don't really think that the meal would be worth it : Maxims is famous for its history, décor and the people that you meet there, much more than for the excellence of its food . www.maxims-artnouveau-museum.com/ |
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Post by Becky (Berkeleytravelers) on Oct 13, 2007 11:40:28 GMT -5
This looks like great fun - thanks for alerting everyone! (But I do think I would skip the food . . . .  ) Geeze, with all the new things I've learned on Our Paris, I could spend six months in Paris without running out of things to do! (If only . . . !) |
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Post by holger on Oct 13, 2007 15:36:51 GMT -5
;D
Thanls. Will skip the meal but try the tour on next trip--whenever that will be.
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Post by ladyjicky on Oct 15, 2007 22:00:33 GMT -5
Fabulous! Who knew it was there! I think its worth seeing but not the meal. I never seem to read about anyone liking the food there anymore. Shame.
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Post by Anne on Nov 5, 2007 9:21:51 GMT -5
Well, we visited the place . Unlike what I said earlier, booking ahead is not required, just make a phone call (01-42-65-30-47) ahead to be sure that the tour isn't full yet . Tours in English are at 2pm, Wednesdays till Sundays . It is very important that you pick a tour in English, because there are so many explanations given here . Tour lasts about 1 hour . If anyone is interested in Art Nouveau, this place is not to be missed . Arriving a little early, we were asked to wait in an upstairs room . Now, one doesn't actually see the inside of the restaurant, but since the first few floors are used for private parties or such, they are decorated the same way than the restaurant, with those beautiful Art Nouveau mahogany and glass panels . Here is the bar in the room where we waited :  We were six in our tour, and the girl who was in charge was really nice and very knowledgeable (but she told me that she doesn't do the 2pm tour because her English isn't good enough, so I hope that the English guide is good too) . Now to be honest, what I really like about art Nouveau is the buildings architecture and also the general decoration like in some brasseries (or Maxim's itself of course) . I usually like the furniture less, and the decoration items even less, like the pâte de verre objects or, the worst IMO, the barbotines (colourful faience vases or bowls) . Well, the place is FULL of barbotines . But the way that the girl explained their symbolics and the way they had been made made them really interesting . There were also several Tiffany lamps . And of course there was the furniture .    I learned a lot of new things about Art Nouveau . At the end of the visit, we were taken into a room with several objects and furniture dated from 1918 to 1920, to be explained the transition between Art Nouveau and Art Déco, that was really interesting . Like some lamps would still have the vegetal-like curved Art Nouveau legs, and a very geometric Art Déco lampshade . Someone asked a question about Maxim's history and the girl also explained the history of the building and the restaurant itself . I don't think that this was originally part of the tour but it was very interesting too . We were really happy to have taken that tour . |
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Post by luckyluc on Nov 5, 2007 9:25:23 GMT -5
Merci Anne, that is all very different and the pictures are great. There is no end to the discoveries one can make in that incredible city.
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Post by ladyjicky on Nov 12, 2007 4:22:13 GMT -5
Thankyou! I think it looks fantastic and if I get to Paris again - I am going to do it!!!
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Post by Jody on Nov 12, 2007 6:29:12 GMT -5
No IFs, ladyjicky...you will go to Paris again!
The pictures are beautiful..depending on the transit situation , I might call to see if we can get in on the English tour.
The closest I've ever been to Maxim's is Minims
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)
Let the riot begin! LOL - 
hahahha