February Paris Letter: Signs, signs everywhere signs
This February Letter is all about those ornate signs swaying in the breeze above our heads in Paris. Why oh why doesn't the rest of the world make pretty ornate signs? Why oh why must we Helvetica everything?
Even Coco...
But it wasn't always this way. There was a time when illiteracy was rampant so store owners made more decorative signs to woo customers sans words.
Musée Carnavalet in Paris is dedicated to the history of the city and has a room dedicated to these old signs.Many of these great signs have disappeared. Weather and time taking its toll, but there are still a few hanging about.
The covered passages in Paris is a good place to start looking. Signs are protected from weather.
Signs are everywhere, and pretty as a collection. 
Outdoor covered walkways are also a nice place to find signs protected from weather...
But some signs are still out in the open, enticing passersby such as myself...
Was every there a more lovely word? Non.French words are always nice when they are painted with flare.
Shoes or shoe repair. I can't recall... or maybe a café for witches.
I like the subtle M.
Back when they sold horse meat. They don't sell horse meat anymore, but only because it's not popular. The French have no qualms about eating all the things.
Definitely a coffee shop. 
You know F. Scott Fitzgerald came up with the idea for including a sign like this in the Great Gatsby after walking the streets of Paris and coming across spectacles such as these. Kinda creepy.
Of course, these signs are everywhere and nowhere. The moment you decide to look for them, you can't find them or remember where they were when you first saw them. As I peruse my 40,000 photo library, I only found a few, but there are soooo many more and better ones. This calls for more urban hikes all over this great big Paris. Lacing up.P.S. I'm listing the original paintings from my books Paris Letters and A Paris Year in my shop. It takes time so check back often. Much like the ornate signs of Paris, they are one of a kind, so once they're gone, they're gone.
