May 10, 2007

Wallace fountain

In 1872, an Englishman, Sir Richard Wallace, living in Paris and having inherited a large fortune from his father and who among other charitable things founded a hospital, decided also to offer water to the Parisians. Because of war and the « commune » events, the water system had been partly destroyed. Water had become scarce and expensive.


He created – his own design - what is still known as Wallace fountains. There are still some 100 of them around in Paris – and you can still drink the water. Here you can see one. The original colour should be dark green. Someone obviously preferred it pink. I hope it can find its original colour soonest.

5 comments:

hpy said...

Moi aussi, je préfère la couleur d'origine. Le rose est loin d'être une couleur que j'aime.

Cergie said...

Oui, elles sont belles ces fontaines. Et le fait de les retrouver un peu partout donne de l'unité à Paris
Tu fais vraiment un sacré travail de documentation. Merci.

lyliane six said...

17e arrondissement

D'autres fontaines à commenter et photographier pour notre plaisir:
-place Aimé Maillard
-Face au 12 boulevard des Batignolles
-place de Levis
-13 avenue Niel : angle de la rue Bayen
-avenue des Ternes : angle de la place Tristan Bernard pair
-avenue de Villiers
-avenue de la Porte Clichy : face au lycée Honoré de Balzac

sonia a. mascaro said...

What a beautiful place and great photo!

Julie said...

Peter - I was able to make photographs of the Wallace fountain in Neuilly-sur-Seine close to the Metro near the crossroad with Ave CdG and Rue de Longchamp. They are, indeed, handsome. I think they do not all operate well, and some only with one stream of water in the centre, look to me to be broken. The junior model I found on my very first afternoon in Paris in the park on the front-side of Invalides. They appear very like the goddess Shiva in Indian mythology to me. Thank you for your research.