The Iconic Furniture of the Paris Metro
By Marielle Brie de Lagerac
Art Historian
Not everybody can be
a true Parisian
The only condition for being honored by the City of Light: taking the metro every single day. Since the early 20th century, Paris has its own way of indicating the entrance to its metro stations. Recognizable among a thousand, these iconic signs display the name of the station in green letters on a yellow background, in the dapper Art Nouveau style of Hector Guimard. When he was commissioned for this project, the message was clear: to give the impression of modernity, and we must say he succeeded! With their organic, plant-like forms, Guimard's metro entrances are unlike anything Parisian knew at the time. More, their vitality inspires confidence, and their cheerful colors proudly announce: "a new world is on the move, and you, metro users, are the leading roles!" The reality is slightly different, but the message is still enthusiastic. Once down the stairs, stations covered in small white tiles welcome Parisians, who must absolutely know where they are going to. The lighting is mediocre and the white tiles are not enough to provide clarity. On the walls, the station name is inscribed in white on blue-glazed sheet metal, except for the North-South line, which uses white tiles on a blue background. Lighting soon improved, allowing Parisians to discover the joys of advertising, elegantly displayed - because this, Madam, is Paris - in dark green earthenware frames. These frames are still visible on lines 12 and 13.
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A few wooden benches and, already, vending machines were available. At that time, all trains were made of wooden carriages and offered first or second-class travel. In just a few decades, wood was replaced by metal for the exterior of the trains, mainly to prevent fires. In the 1930s, metalized trains were painted, and over the years, they would come in all colors! On the surface, Guimart panels began to be dismantled, initiating the sad homogenization of the Paris metro… The 1930s were the delightful heyday of a chic and wildly Parisian metro. Passengers in first and second class sat on solid ash tree benches or armchairs with sober but chic lines, and upholstered in leather in first class. The necessary instructions were elegantly traced in gilded letters on enamelled plates, adorned with Art Deco interlacing. But standardization was on the prowl, the war on ornament in full swing, and soon these historic marvels would be sacrificed on the altar of modernity! Plastic replaces wood, synthetic velvet displaces leather, brass luggage racks disappear, swept away by silver metal bars. On the platforms, the old wooden benches were replaced in 1973 by brightly-colored enamelled metal chair-shells designed by Joseph André Motte (1925 - 2013). Today, while new Art Nouveau signs brighten up the streets of Paris, it's only in antique shops that you will still find memories of the Paris metro's apex!
Other stories by Marielle Brie
The Queen's Gazette