This is so wonderful! Thanks, kerouac!

Your narratives make the pictures much more interesting!

and so clean! who keeps those metro stations so clean? How do they clean the different light fixtures?

The cleaning services are very efficient. They need to be. People do disgusting things.

Very interesting. I now remember your report on the Grands Boulevards and the pictures of the Grand Rex Cinema. It's hard to relate underground to above ground when hurtling along through tunnels.

I now crown you the Bill Cunningham of the city of Light.
What Bill does to street fashion of New York,
You do visions of Paris.

Is photography inside the Paris stations allowed without a permit? Did anyone give you a hard time at all?

This is wonderful! I might have to go to Paris next summer with my DH and his parents, brother, SIL & boys, and this sounds like the perfect way for me to "get lost" from them all one day!

<i>Is photography inside the Paris stations allowed without a permit? Did anyone give you a hard time at all?</i>

No problem at all taking pictures in the metro. Naturally, any individual can contest having his picture taken, but it is really rare. Any Parisian in public places knows he is photographed at least 50 times a day. Since I work just off the Champs Elysées, I think I must appear in at least 200 photos.

You can also take pictures in the train stations, but the security people are so bored that sometimes they will come up and challenge you. All you need to know is that the SNCF runs regular contests about the best photos in train stations and when you point this out to them, they feel really stupid.

Thank you thank you! Gorgeous and informative. I've enjoyed many of those metro stations, thought they were interesting, thought they were beautiful or clever...but in most cases, had no idea of the inspiration for the themes.

I would think, though, kerouac, that as in London they really don't like people using flash in the stations, for fairly obvious safety reasons.

I see flashes all the time -- particularly by tourists who want to get a photo of the train pulling into the station, which I presume would be the most dangerous action if the trains did not all have a "dead man's brake". (They have to keep pressure on a lever at all times and if they let up at any moment, the train stops immediately.)

Naturally, with all of the new digital cameras, a flash is required less and less often anyway.

Sweet, I'd love to take a few pics in and around metro stations in Paris and London. Good to know about the Security guys there.

And I usually avoid taking pics of people as much as I can, but hey, if Parisians are used to the paparazzi, that's great! Thanks!

Somehow I missed this in August. Just goes to show that a good thread never dies. Thanks, kerouac.

Likewise, seemed to missed it aswell.
Great work kerouac!

Thank you Kerouac! What a wonderful essay (as usual)! I so rarely take the Metro as I walk & walk & walk everywhere enjoying street scenes, architecture, shop windows, etc. Your photos have shown me what I'm missing.

I've added a few more things to this report in case anybody is interested.

Thank you to everybody who thought it was worth a look.

yes, i just found it too.

thanks kerouac, for opening our eyes, again!

Wonderful, kerouac! I hope you will keep adding to this photo album.

Your photo essays have enticed me on small adventures all over Paris!

I finally saw the St Augustin lips. They were great. I've seen the Montreal version.

Hi K,

Thanks for posting another nice essay.

Hooray for France for
(a) recognizing that a little bit of beauty makes life much better
(b) there is more to life than just making another euro
(c) putting people to work improving the infrastructure does more to combat a recession than does lowering taxes on the rich

Re FDR station: >It has the strangest lampshades that I have ever seen in the metro.<

They look very much like the lampshades installed in 1964 by Levitt in the house that we bought in Bowie, MD.