Paris | Portrait of a City
Description
Paris | Portrait of a City
A city built on two millennia of history, Paris is entering the third century of its love story with photography.It was on the banks of the Seine that Niépce and Daguerre officially gave birth to this new art that has flourished ever since, developing a distinctive language and becoming a vital tool of knowledge.
Paris: Portrait of a City leads us through what Goethe described as a “universal city where every step upon a bridge or a square recalls a great past, where a fragment of history is unrolled at the corner of every street.” The history of Paris is recounted in photographs ranging from Daguerre’s early incunabula to the most recent images―an almost complete record of over a century and a half of transformations and a vast panorama spanning more than 600 pages and 500 photographs. This book brings together the past and the present, the monumental and the everyday, objects and people. Images captured by the most illustrious photographers―Daguerre, Marville, Atget, Lartigue, Brassaï, Kertész, Ronis, Doisneau, Cartier-Bresson, and many more―but also by many unknown photographers, attempt to bottle just a little of that “Parisian air,” something of that particular poetry given out by the stones and inhabitants of a constantly changing city that has inspired untold numbers of writers and artists over the ages.
Presenting an exciting patchwork of images from past and present, Paris: Portrait of a City is a huge and unique photographic study that, in a way, is the true family album of all Parisians. It is to them, and to all lovers of this capital city, that this vibrant, loving, and tender testimony is dedicated.
- Language : Multilingual
- Hardcover : 544 pages
- Dimensions : 10.51 x 1.77 x 13.74 inches
About Us
We're a small sustainable, family run company based in northern California. We travel the world to bring you beautiful, mostly vintage things and a lot of inspiration for your home.
When we founded our company, we envisioned a small business with a human touch: each beautiful item selected by hand, each order carefully packed by someone who cares, each call and email personally answered by someone who can help, and most of all, each customer treated like a dear friend. And we were committed to giving a little back in the form of support to other small businesses like us, and donations to causes that tug at our heartstrings.
We believe that not making something new is the greenest thing of all, that a small business can make a big difference, that the human touch is a powerful thing, and that working side by side with your family is a really nice way to spend your day.
Meet our team. They're the best.
Occasionally we will earn a commission for products that we recommend on our blog. Our opinions are always our own, and we never recommend a product or service we do not use ourselves.
What we sell
We travel the world in search of ideas, inspiration, and beautiful vintage and hand crafted products for your home and your life from France, Morocco, Belgium and the United States.
Shop our collection of furniture including
cabinets, armoires and buffets
dining tables, farm tables and islands
coffee tables, side tables and console tables
upholstered sofas, couches, loveseats, chairs, chaises and ottomans.
accent furniture such as bistro tables, small dressers, coat racks and bars.
Shop our collection of things for your French kitchen including
cookware and kitchen tools, canning jars
vintage and re-tinned copper pots, pans, stock pots and pitchers
vintage and hand made plates and bowls
vintage flatware : forks, knives, spoons, carving knives and forks, spreaders and special silver pieces
vintage glassware : vintage champagne coupes and flutes for toasting, vintage wine glasses, lovely moroccan tea glasses and unique vintage bar glasses and decanters
table linens: vintage napkins, vintage kitchen towels, linen aprons, and pretty silver napkin rings.
serving platters and bowls, pitchers, tureens, gravy boats and trays
stoneware crocks, vases, pitchers and bowls
vintage silver: silver flatware, champagne buckets, trays and bar tools
Shop our collection of decor including:
art, travel and design books, cookbooks, vintage books
lamps, pendants and chandeliers
coat racks, coat hooks, baskets and totes
beautiful decorative accessories
Shop our collection of textiles including:
washed linen sheets, duvets and pillowcases and bed covers
items for the bath : towels, bath mats, soap dishes, towel racks and hooks, soap, candles, mirrors, trays, stools.
table linens: vintage napkins, vintage kitchen towels, linen aprons, and pretty silver napkin rings.
Shop our collection of vintage art including:
vintage etchings, sketches and drawings
Our Trade Program
We don't mean to brag, but our collection of vintage & custom furniture as well as lovely decor has made us a stylist and designer favorite. Whether you need one signature piece, or a layer of decor for the final mile, our special pieces can help bring your project to life.
When you join our designer program, you'll receive
15% trade discount
Tax exempt purchasing with resale permit
Support from our Designer Liaison
Private shopping by appointment for you & your client
48 hour approval period
Opportunity to pre-shop new containers
Contact us today with your business license, address telephone and email to get started.
Terms
Registered designers are entitled to receive a 15% discount on all regular priced merchandise listed on our website, or available in our SF area showroom and annex.
We do not combine discounts or promotions, so if shipping is required, we will advise which is most advantageous for you: 15% trade discount or free shipping promotion.
You will note that a small number of items are listed as "local pick up only.." Those items are not eligible for our free shipping promotion.
What we sell
We travel the world in search of ideas, inspiration, and beautiful vintage and hand crafted products for your home and your life from France, Morocco, Belgium and the United States.
Shop our collection of furniture including
cabinets, armoires and buffets
dining tables, farm tables and islands
coffee tables, side tables and console tables
upholstered sofas, couches, loveseats, chairs, chaises and ottomans.
accent furniture such as bistro tables, small dressers, coat racks and bars.
Shop our collection of things for your French kitchen including
cookware and kitchen tools, canning jars
vintage and re-tinned copper pots, pans, stock pots and pitchers
vintage and hand made plates and bowls
vintage flatware : forks, knives, spoons, carving knives and forks, spreaders and special silver pieces
vintage glassware : vintage champagne coupes and flutes for toasting, vintage wine glasses, lovely moroccan tea glasses and unique vintage bar glasses and decanters
table linens: vintage napkins, vintage kitchen towels, linen aprons, and pretty silver napkin rings.
serving platters and bowls, pitchers, tureens, gravy boats and trays
stoneware crocks, vases, pitchers and bowls
vintage silver: silver flatware, champagne buckets, trays and bar tools
Shop our collection of decor including:
art, travel and design books, cookbooks, vintage books
lamps, pendants and chandeliers
coat racks, coat hooks, baskets and totes
beautiful decorative accessories
Shop our collection of textiles including:
washed linen sheets, duvets and pillowcases and bed covers
items for the bath : towels, bath mats, soap dishes, towel racks and hooks, soap, candles, mirrors, trays, stools.
table linens: vintage napkins, vintage kitchen towels, linen aprons, and pretty silver napkin rings.
Shop our collection of vintage art including:
vintage etchings, sketches and drawings
sculpture, busts and hand made ceramics
Shipping Information
It is never our intention to make money on shipping. We strive to always be fair and reasonable in both our pricing and our shipping charges.
Shipping Costs
- Free shipping on all orders $99 or greater unless an item is listed as "available for local pick up only in our Concord, California shop"
- Free shipping applies to small items and furniture unless the item is listed for local pickup.
- Shipping on orders less than $99 will be charged according to the shipping table offered at checkout.
- White Glove Furniture Shipments may incur a delivery surcharge to remote areas. Generally these include Montana, Wyoming, and Coastal Islands that require a Ferry Service. Other remote locations may also apply. If your location requires a shipping surcharge, we will contact you once your order is placed to let you know.
Shipping Timeline
- Most items will be shipped via UPS or USPS. Processing takes 3-7 days. Depending on your location, shipping can take 2-10 days from our location in northern California. Once your order is shipped, we will provide tracking information so you can see your package traveling to you.
- Large furniture pieces travel via LUGG in the Bay Area, a private trucking service in the LA area, and White Glove Freight in other areas. For Bay Area and LA area, we'll easily be able to predict the delivery window for your item. For other areas, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact travel time for your item, but we try our best to provide you with current information to allow you to track it as it travels. Once your item arrives at a local receiver, you will be contacted with a four hour delivery window and the item will be carried into your home, placed in the room of your choice, and any packing material will be removed.
Packing Material
- When packing your order for shipping we do our best to strike the balance between minimizing the packing material we use and packing the items securely so they arrive safely to your door. Our packing boxes can be recycled and our packing peanuts are biodegradable. Just add them to your yard waste bin or run some water over them and they will dissolve.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's your return policy?
Read our Return Policy here
How will my order be shipped?
Shipping information can be found here
Do you have a gift registry?
We do! You can find it here
How do I find you?
Visit the shops here
Can I have a job?
Maybe! Our current job postings are listed here
Do you offer gift cards?
We do! Find them here
Who are you?
Read all about us here
What do you sell?
What we sell
We travel the world in search of ideas, inspiration, and beautiful vintage and hand crafted products for your home and your life from France, Morocco, Belgium and the United States.
Shop our collection of furniture including
cabinets, armoires and buffets
dining tables, farm tables and islands
coffee tables, side tables and console tables
upholstered sofas, couches, loveseats, chairs, chaises and ottomans.
accent furniture such as bistro tables, small dressers, coat racks and bars.
Shop our collection of things for your French kitchen including
cookware and kitchen tools, canning jars
vintage and re-tinned copper pots, pans, stock pots and pitchers
vintage and hand made plates and bowls
vintage flatware : forks, knives, spoons, carving knives and forks, spreaders and special silver pieces
vintage glassware : vintage champagne coupes and flutes for toasting, vintage wine glasses, lovely moroccan tea glasses and unique vintage bar glasses and decanters
table linens: vintage napkins, vintage kitchen towels, linen aprons, and pretty silver napkin rings.
serving platters and bowls, pitchers, tureens, gravy boats and trays
stoneware crocks, vases, pitchers and bowls
vintage silver: silver flatware, champagne buckets, trays and bar tools
Shop our collection of decor including:
art, travel and design books, cookbooks, vintage books
lamps, pendants and chandeliers
coat racks, coat hooks, baskets and totes
beautiful decorative accessories
Shop our collection of textiles including:
washed linen sheets, duvets and pillowcases and bed covers
items for the bath : towels, bath mats, soap dishes, towel racks and hooks, soap, candles, mirrors, trays, stools.
table linens: vintage napkins, vintage kitchen towels, linen aprons, and pretty silver napkin rings.
Shop our collection of vintage art including:
vintage etchings, sketches and drawings
sculpture, busts and hand made ceramics
How to Measure for Furniture Delivery
Now that you've decided to invest in a new piece of furniture, let's make sure it fits perfectly in your room.
Follow a general rule of allowing 36" of traffic pattern around an arrangement of furniture for traffic flow.
If you are looking to sit a certain number of people at your table, the size of your chairs is as important as the size of the table. Generally, allow about 20" of length per person (about the width of a placement).
A trestle base will give you more flexibility than four legs to seat more people along each side of the table.
Consider the size of the doors when placing furniture adjacent to a cabinet with doors. You'll want to be able to completely open the cabinet doors without bumping into a nearby piece of furniture.
If your cabinet has to be turned on its side to be carried through a standard door into your room, make sure it will clear the ceiling when it's placed upright. To calculate the diagonal measurement of the cabinet, dust off the Pythagorean Theorem: height of the cabinet squared + width of the cabinet squared = diagonal measurement of the cabinet squared. If the square root of the diagonal measurement is less that your ceiling height, then you're good. If it is more, then the cabinet will not fit into your room unless it is made in two pieces.
For coffee tables, rules are made to be broken, but these three rules should give you some structure to work with: generally speaking, you'll want your coffee table to be roughly the height of your sofa deck (about 20"), roughly 18" from the sofa, and approx. 2/3 the width of the sofa.
As always, if you have questions just contact us. We can help.
Etcetera | our blog
Shop Gal Guide | September Edition
Color Crush | Blue
We have rounded up some of our favorite interiors that use various shades of our current favorite hue and hope that you love them as much as we do.
No Boyfriend Required
photography by Sandra Semburg
The shopgirls are experts at adopting menswear styles into our wardrobes. I especially have some favorite menswear pieces that I reach for over and over again