THE
PLAQUES of Paris street names are one of the symbols of the capitol, just
like the Eiffel Tower. The template, which has remained the same since
1847, is unlike any other in the world and is one of the oldest still
in usage. But behind this symbol, there are many different models: some
of them already belong to history and no longer have an official existence;
others are nothing more than variations of the official model; and still
others are architect's whims for the most part and are purely decorative.
Historial
Inscriptions
The
inscriptions of street names engraved in stone are still numerous in Paris.
They were done after 1729 but before 1806. Indeed, in 1729, the lieutenant
général de police of Paris, by
a decree dated July 30, demanded that all owners with houses at the beginning
and end of the streets put "stone tablets that are one and one-half
inches in thickness and that are long enough that the street names can
be engraved in letters that are two and one-half pouces high, and that
a groove be made around the circumference of that stone three inches from
the edge, which will be colored in black, as with the letters."These
stone tablets were later replaced in 1806, by decree from Napoleon "by
new engravings carried with oil."
The systematic engraving of street names goes back to 1728, when the lieutenant
de police of Paris stipulated that street names be posted on white steel
sheets in big black characters. Due to their fragile nature, this system
was replaced the following year by the stone tablets.Before
1728, no streets were marked, except in very rare instances, by private
and isolated initiative, as, for example with the Dominicans in 1643 who
clarified where their abbey was located with a marble plaque with the
inscription, "Rue Saint-Dominique, used to be Rue des Vaches.
The
engraving of street name as prescribed after 1729 was the responsibility
of the owner of any house located at the end of a street. Some owners
called on talented craftsmen who have left us with beautifully crafted
tablets.
Others, on the other hand, were more interested in saving money.
The French
Revolution
(1789-1798)
On
August 14, 1792, the Convention voted for the destruction of all monuments
that were reminiscent of the feudal system. On July 4, 1793, it ordered
the elimination of all traces of royalty on public monuments.
A decree from November 27, 1793 completed this law which was enlarged
in 1794 to include provisions requiring that the word "saint"
be removed from street names. To carry out these orders, the Public Works
Commission of the Commune de Paris ordered on December 21, 1794 the removal
of this word.
The work became more widespread from December 28, 1794 to mid-July of
1795. You can still see traces of it today.
The Naming of Roads
Up
until the 17th century, there was never any question of naming the roads,
as
the city was practically composed of only streets, alleys, and culs-de-sac
and some squares. With the urban development work undertaken by Louis
XIV, new roads were born, which replaced the city walls or which lengthened
older roads. It was during this era that the "rue neuve" (new
street) were born, such as Rue Neuve des Petits-Champs, below, or also
the "rue des fossés" (ditch streets), like the rue des
Fossés-Saint-Jacques (picture on the left).
The ditches had been dug out ahead of the barriers and fortifications
to reinforce them. The disappearance of the fortifications in 1670 brought
about the creation of " rue des fossés" (or "fossez"
according to the 18th-century spelling) corresponding to the roads that
were established in their place.
On
May 23, 1806, Napoleon I signed a decree ordering that "the new inscriptions
will be carried out in oil, and, for the first time, at the expense of
the Paris Commune." These new inscriptions were to replace the stone
tablets of the 18th century, but, after a few decades, they became illegible
and they had to be redone in 1847 at the same time that a general building
renumbering system was being undertaken. The new plaques were made of
porcelain baked at high temperatures. A decree from 1938 outlines their
technical specifications:
"The
plaques receiving a street name inscription will be rectangular and will
have different dimensions depending on the size of the name being inscribed.
They will be between .7 and 1 meter in length, and between .35 and .5m
meters in height.
They will be designed according to the following model:
White letters or numbers;
Azur blue backgrounds;
Green bronze framing 3.5 cm in length, rising from shadow effects of black
and white threads."
A decree from 1982 specifies that it is "blue copper phtalocyanate"
and "green chrome oxide."
The right
to give streets names in Paris fell on the City Council (Conseil municipal)
which had to gather advice from the District Council (Conseil d'arrondissement)
in question and then submit the naming project to the Commission on overseeing
street naming projects (Commission d'examen des projets de dénomination
des voies). The system of naming streets in Paris is said to be historical
"since the names of old streets keep the memory of an ancient population
and those of new streets will help perpetuate the memory of great men,
and of great actions that have made the nation proud" (Merruau Report,
1862)
The system also obeyed the following conventions:
-Simplicity: "For a name to be selected, it is not sufficient that
it be a worthy name; it must also meet practical requirements, such that
it have an easy spelling and pronunciation and that it be easy to describe
and remember." (Beudant Report, 1873)
-"The biggest roads will have majestic names that are worthy of public
recognition."
-"On the outskirsts of churches, the names of saints, prelates, and
famous preachers will naturally be given preference."
-"The surroundings of railroads, neighborhoods occupied by industry
will be called by the names of engineers, inventors, famous people of
industry, doctors will not be far from the hospitals, astronomers, intellectuals,
close to the Observatory or the schools." (Merruau Report, 1862).
The
owners of buildings and businesses are free to post street name plates
at their own cost and according to the model that they prefer. Architects
have taken advantage of this by making the plates similar to the style
of the building on which it is posted. Some of them are very original
and are truly masterpieces.
