30.4.12

Wallace fountains - again



On my previous blog, I made a few posts about the “Wallace Fountains”. They were originally, in 1872, created, donated, by a wealthy Englishman, Richard Wallace, who also donated for hospitals, ambulances….

Originally there seems to have been some 50 fountains (you can then read the year “1872” on them). More fountains were created later and nowadays you can count around 95 of the bigger model, the one we mostly recognize, but there are also a number of smaller, simplified, ones. When they were created most houses had of course no running drinking water and these fountains were definitely of great social value. Today, they still supply pure drinkable water (except during the coldest months). When you walk around Paris a warm day and if you have a little bottle or a cup, fill it up!

The fountains should normally be painted in green, to fit into the landscape; you find them mostly close to some green space. They suffer of course now and then from taggers, but there are at least four Wallace fountains in Paris, which have been repainted in a more official way, probably somehow for fun and possibly not forever. I spotted them.


The first one I show can be found on the ground of the Porte-de-Versailles exposition area.


A second red one can be found in one of the China Town districts, Avenue d’Ivry. (See previous post about  what the street looks like when the Chinese New Year is celebrated.)


Close to the Bibliothèque François Mitterrand (see previous post), you can find a third one, more or less pink.


The last, fourth one, yellow, is not far from there, just outside a large building which used to be an old flour-mill and store but now is occupied by the Paris University (Paris VII-Denis Diderot). It seems that the previous ones have escaped from tagging, but not this one (see also top picture).  


22 comments:

helen tilston said...

Hello Peter

This is fascinating and thank you for explaining their provenance and for your spectacular images.

Wishing you a great week

Helen

Olivier said...

la rouge porte de versailles,je l'avais prise en photo....elles sont belles, mais je preferre avec le vert original

French Girl in Seattle said...

Cool post, Peter. I, too, prefer these in "classic green," but I must say that pink one is the only cheerful thing in the immediate vicinity of the awful Bibliotheque Nationale ;-) At least one other person must have agreed, the one who chose the paint color! Veronique (French Girl in Seattle)

Owen said...

We can always count on you to get to the bottom of the story... am wondering now if Paris is the only town that has these, seems to me I've seen similar fountains in other places in France ? Maybe I'm dreaming...

Vagabonde said...

I too rather would look at the fountain in their dark green color. There are 30 or so in France outside of Paris. There is one in Quebec City and also one in Montreal, Canada, in the Floralie Gardens I think. I hope they won’t all be painted these bright colors.

ParisMaddy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ParisMaddy said...

The story and colors are so unique, so wonderful, and they certainly beat the usual boring drinking fountains.
The original dark green color is great but what a flashy pop to your senses with the brights!

Alain said...

Même si on connait Paris, on découvre des choses tous les jours.

Cergie said...

Ma foi ce n'est pas pire que la garde-robe du Manneken-Pis même si je serais moins tentée de remplir ma bouteille à son jet.
La peinture ne peut pas faire de mal à la fonte et sera facile à enlever par des professionnels.

hpy said...

J'aurais bien vu la rouge à coté des pompiers....
la rose, tu sais où,
et la jaune je n'ai aucune idée.
Mais je préfère les vertes.

Thérèse said...

Je découvre que mon goût penche radicalement vers le classique quand il s'agit des fontaines Wallace...

Studio at the Farm said...

They are lovely, Peter, and I'm glad to read that they are still providing good water.

Starman said...

They look.....strange.

Cezar and Léia said...

They are all beautiful colors, very creative idea for the fountains!
Léia

Catherine said...

I prefer the original green - but fun to track them through the city...

Virginia said...

I"Ve only seen the green ones of course but the ROUGE!!! Well you now that is certainly on my list.Oh let's go find the pin and yellow while we're at it! :)
V

Genie -- Paris and Beyond said...

I'll tag along to see that pink one, and well the red too... oh, let's catch the yellow one while we are out.

I think that we were very close to the pink when we were on the bridge in Bercy, n'est-ce pas?

Bises
Genie

Anonymous said...

That first photo is priceless...

That kind of yellow is mi favorite color.

Beautiful post!

Mil gracias.
Maria

Anonymous said...

That first photo is priceless...

That kind of yellow is mi favorite color.

Beautiful post!

Mil gracias.
Maria

claude said...

Je n'aime pas toutes ces couleurs tapent à l'oeil. Comme Olivier je les préfère au naturel. Elles tellement belles.

Simony said...

The pink one is gorgeous with the gray and black cityscape behind it!

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