So completely enchanting

[mrs taylor]

http://messynessychic.com/2012/05/09/the-paris-time-capsule-apartment/

This has absolutely made my night so I thought I'd share in case there are other romantic souls out there needing a dose of magic. I would have given anything to have been there when it was opened.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

How totally strange to just leave all those treasures and never return to get a single thing! Very interesting, though!

 

[Haven]

Magical, indeed! Thank you for sharing this.

 

[minousbijoux]

That is awesome - I love stories like this one, only I want the answer as to why she never went back...I hope its because her life was so full and happy in the South of France "she just never got around to it."

 

[MissGotRocks]

The entire story would surely be interesting. . . wonder if anyone has the answers to these questions?

 

[artdecogirl]

I love that vanity, such beautiful things and a amazing story!

 

[Deactivated member 42515]

Oh my... that apartment is beautiful! Such a magical experience! and yet so so sad

 

[junebug17]

Oh, that's fascinating! Like opening a door and stepping back in time! Very intriguing - the rent was paid throughout the years but she never returned - quite a mystery!

 

[ksinger]

OK...since no one knows the answers, here is my take on the situation.

The granddaughter Mrs. De Florian, had to be what? 20-ish when she fled to the south of France? That apartment was clearly not HER apartment, that was Grandmere Marthe's apartment, oui? I mean look at the stuff - in 1940, that Belle Epoque stuff was probably hopelessly dated and fusty to her eyes, don't you imagine? Good quality, but still, stuffed full of another's things, that she couldn't really dispose of without upsetting someone in the family. I suspect she had either recently inherited that flat, or her family said, when she desired to live in Paris, "Well, we have your grandmother's flat, why don't you live there?" So she did - for a short time. Until it was time to flee. And being a daughter of a wealthy family, does anyone think she was the one paying the bills? Quelle horreur! Non! That was set up by people paid to attend to such common tasks. And when she finally came into her full inheritance, her upbringing would have made it so it was easier to just go with what had already been put in place all those years ago (think of it as the pre-electronic version of a bank draft). She had made her life away from Paris, and probably didn't want to - and didn't HAVE to, worry about the relatively small sum to keep the apartment paid for: thinking about things like business is so tiresome, oui?

In this case, her inertia was great for the family, and fun for the world to see.

Anyway, that's my theory.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I read your theory, ksinger, before reading the article, so I can see your perspective as to why it may be awkward for the woman to live in that apartment when there are stuffed animals (literally) decorating the place (along with all the other belongings of another person), and YES, someone in the family would be bound to become upset if she redecorated so why not start a new life!?

 

[ksinger]

Well, it IS just conjecture after all.

Here is some fun stuff I found. There isn't much. It's all very hush hush, so some part of the family was and is keeping a lid on something deemed scandalous I suspect. Two illegitimate children would definitely be scandalous. But someone came by and had money from somewhere...wonder where?

http://ask.metafilter.com/222688/Major-Mistress-Mystery-Missed-Madame-Makes-Masses-Manic

Since grandmere was an actress - her name of Marthe de Florian, was a stage name - one would have to assume that she at least was not from a good family even if family standing had either improved by granddaughter's day, or the granddaughter is the scion of a very high-ranking father.

(excerpt from link above starts here)

her real name was Mathilde Héloïse BEAUGIRON. She was born on September 9th 1864 in the 18th arrondissement in Paris and her profession in 1882 was seamstress. (But she apparently entertained some pretty noted men, like Georges Clemenceau. - comment mine)

She had two children by unknown fathers - two boys named Henri. The first one died shortly after birth but the second Henri lived until 1966. The good news is that he was born in the 9th arrondissement which is where the said locked up apartment is.

-So, if you look up his birth certificate (page 30 in the book) the story is a bit iffy. He was born in Rue Saint Lazare 100 in 1884 and his birth was declared by the midwife who stated his mother was Mathilde Vaugiron who had no known occupation. There is an addendum to this, done later, where it says that Mathilde Beaugiron recognized the child as hers in 1889. So, I'm not sure the Vaugiron was a typo that had to be amended or some clever 19th century subterfuge. In any case, he was recognized by his mother but the father is unknown.

- this birth certificate gives his mother's address as Rue Condorcet, 69 in the 9th arrondissement.

- Henri died in Paris in the 9th arrondissement on 12 May 1966. This might be where you should ask for a death certificate using the links that lapsangsouchong has given. At least you can see if he was living at Rue Condorcet at time of death. Which would sort of mess up the "apartment locked up for 70 years" story.

- another line of enquiry is to look at Marthe de Florian's sister's family in case this grand daughter was actually a great niece since Henri doesn't appear to have had issue.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Well, I think we have a splendid book or movie plot brewing!