Sunday, March 8, 2009

25 Things I Love About Paris: #20


#20 Signage.

I'm a sucker for signs under any circumstances but those here in Paris have a special place in my heart. What better to see when you think you're hopelessly lost than that iconic Guimard designed sign indicating an entrance to the subway? Or when you hop off the train and look left and right searching for the way out? And it's similarly reassuring to find the street name, reliably posted on the side of the building when you want to be sure you're in the right place.

Go to the Musee Carnavelet if you're looking for hand painted signs made by folk artists from the past indicating a shoemaker, an oculist, or a tobacconist. On the streets of Paris in 2009, they're likely to be rendered in neon but the meaning is no less clear.

3 comments:

Starman said...

I like the diversity of the métro signs.

Harriet said...

I am a francophile and love visiting your blog. Does the dog sign mean "no dogs, even if they are on a leash"? Or does it mean, dogs must be on a leash? Merci.

Anne said...

Harriet: Glad you enjoy my blog. It means no dog, even if on a leash. The graphic doesn't help much does it? I'd interpret it as "no dogs holding a leash in their mouths."

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