Figure 1.-- Here we have what looks like a newspaper advertisement for Saint Germain des Prés which seems to have two stores in Paris. The offered clothes for both boys and girls. The adverusements shows knee pants Fauntleroy and sailor suits for boys and sailor dresses for girls. It looks like the early 1900s to us. The fact that the images are photogravure suggests it was published after the turn of the 20th century. Put your cursor on the image to dee he right side of the ad and two other models.

Mail order and store catalogs as well as advertisements are useful in studying fashiion history for several reasons. In addition to information about sizes, colors, fabrics, detailing, and other elements, catalogs anf advertisements, unlike many photographs or vintage clothing, are often dated. We have, however, found some catalogs and advertisements that are undated. We can generally date them to the decade, but niot a specific year. Here we are archiving French ads and catalogs that we believe date to the the 1900s. This can be confirmed with the dated items we have found. Perhaps we will eventually be able to date them more precuisely as HBC expands is archives. Here we have what looks like a newspaper advertisement for Saint Germain des Prés which had entrances on two different streets in Paris (figurev 1). The offered clothes for both boys and girls. The adverusements shows knee pants Fauntleroy and sailor suits for boys and sailor dresses for girls. It looks like the early 1900s to us. The fact that the images are photogravure suggests it was published after the turn of the 20th century.

A French reader tells us about the store and neigborhoods in Paris. "This store no longer exists, It was located in the highly intellectual district, near the center of Paris. This area is called Saint Germain des Près. This store had its entrances on two streets and had taken the neigborhood for its name, Saint Germain des Près. Looking at the telephone number, I think this advertisement was dated around 1910. About 'Saint Germain des Près' area of Paris IV, located on the left bank of the Seine. Currently the property prices of housing in this area is very high. Personnaly I lived in the other bank, side right in Paris XVII. I rarely get in Saint Germain des Près. The mentality of the people in these Paris neigborhoods were a bit different. In Saint Germain des Près the people are rather intellectual, part of the literary world, extravagant, liberal, anti-establishment. Where I lived, it is luxury residential district with many rich families, several embassies. And it was the contrary, life wa more formal, almost stif, the language very polished terms. For instance praticly all the children had a nany, many of us used the 'vous' when we adressed our Parents, except our nanny. The teachers used the 'vous' when their spoke to us. The persons often spoke using the verbs ' passé simple '. We, children could not speak that way. We'd go out in the street otherwise of the almost imposed ways. All these practices were out the fashion in the rest of France after 1950."

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Created: 8:05 PM 1/29/2014
Last updated: 11:03 PM 1/30/2014