Figure 1.-- The Pontremoli family had three children: Thérèse, Jean, and Michel. We note a photograph of his family in the parlor of their well-appointed home during the early-1900s. It shows his two sons. We at first thought that the third person was their mother, but now think it is the daughter Thérèse. The elder boy is wearing what a French site call 'culottes Anglais' (English short trousers). The younger boy wears a 'costume marin' (sailor suit). We are not sure when the portrait was taken, but would guess the early-1920s because the older boy is wearing short pants rather than knee pants.

Emmanuel Pontremoli was a distinuished French Architect and archeologist. He was born in Nice, the son of a Jewish rabbi. He was interested in painting, but took up architecture, studing under Louis-Jules André. Pontremoli won the “Grand prix de Rome”(1890). He married Suzanne Hecht (1899). She camne from a Jewish family as well, we think German Jews. (The family is best known for a large chain of American department stores.) They had three three children: Thérèse, Jean, and Michel. We note a photograph of his family in the parlor of their well-appointed home during the early-1900s. It shows his two sons. We at first thought that the third person was their mother, but now think it is the daughter Thérèse. The elder boy is wearing what a French site call 'culottes Anglais' (English short trousers). The younger boy wears a 'costume marin' (sailor suit). We are not sure when the portrait was taken, but would guess the early-1920s because the older boy is wearing short pants rather than knee pants. Pontremoli worked with Théodore Reinach on a project to build an ancient Greek villa--Villa Kerylos (1902-08), He was elected to the “Académie des Beaux Arts” (1922). He taught architecture at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts and was appointed a director (1932). He also designed synagogues. One of his best known buildings is the Institute for Human Paleontology in Paris for Albert I, Prince of Monaco. We are not sure what happened to him and his family during the German World War II occupation (1940-44).

Created: 11:58 AM 2/4/2011
Last updated: 11:58 AM 2/4/2011