20.10.16

U.S. presidential elections – in Paris.


“Harry’s Bar”, rue Daunou, was opened in 1911 as the “New York Bar”. The barman Harry MacElhone took over in 1923 and added his name to the bar. It has stayed in his family since. Among the guests over the years there are names like Ernest Hemingway (see my post from 2009 about Hemingway’s Paris habits), Ali Khan, Rita Hayworth, Humphrey Bogart, Jack Dempsey, Coco Chanel, the Duke of Windsor… and George Gershwin composed “American in Paris”.

This is also where for each U.S. presidential election since 1924 a “straw poll” takes place. You must be a U.S. citizen to participate. The results have always corresponded to the real result with exceptions for 1976 (Jimmy Carter) and 2004 (George W. Bush). The box is there and the U.S. ambassador (Jane Hartley) was the first one to cast her ballot a couple of days ago. She then also stated that only 5% of Americans abroad voted in 2012 – “let’s do better”. The “straw poll” results will be known only on the Election Day, November 8. 

(By the way, the Hemingway Bar at the Ritz Hotel is now again open – hotel recently renovated. I was there last week, had a Dry Martini – 30€. Nice, but it will not be on a daily basis.)

6 comments:

Karen said...

Fun post. Wondering what the result will be. I remember going to the Hemingway Bar at the Ritz. The drinks were 30 euro then and we stuffed ourselves on the free olive, nuts and chips.
Happy to see it's open again.

French Girl in Seattle said...

So nice of you to write about "the straw poll" to encourage Americans expats to vote! I am disappointed to not see any close-ups of the beverages served there. I am assuming you only had a glass of water or a soda, since you were "on call," reporting for Peter's Paris? ;-) I don't feel sorry for you, mind you, since you made up for it at the Hemingway Bar (Do you get to keep the Martini glass at that price?) --- Véronique

Anonymous said...

A Dry Martini? What? No champagne at this bar? Somebody told me they have it, and that a glass of "regular" champagne there costs about the same. Is that true?
And I read that the best hot dogs in Paris are served there :)
Just hoping the place has retained all of its charm.
I love your photos. Thanks, M.Peter!
Maria

P.S. I was just thinking that probably that bar was one where Mademoiselle Chanel would not dare meet with her Nazi contacts.................

Jeanie said...

I love this post, Peter -- and I'd love to see Harry's. The photos are just terrific. Let's hope our long national nightmare of pre-election ends soon and that the nightmare doesn't continue.

Alexa said...

Great post, Peter. I have fond memories of Harry's back in the '60s. No recollection of what the drinks cost then, but it couldn't have been much if I could afford it!

Dédé said...

Salut Petel. Et bien il y a l'air d'avoir de l'ambiance. Et j'espère que cette bonne ambiance fera que les Américains voteront juste...