Bibliothèque Nationale de France

La BNF fait partie de ces bibliothèques tellement somptueuses qu’il en devient difficile d’y travailler: comment se concentrer dans un décor pareil ?! Je me surprends toujours à lever la tête, à un moment où à un autre, pour observer ce qui m’entoure.
Ce qui est génial, c’est que la BNF est aussi richement parée architecturalement qu’en tant que bibliothèque: on y trouve TOUT !
Ce qui est moins génial, c’est qu’en hiver, il fait très froid (d’où son surnom de «glacière»), et que l’endroit est toujours bondé… Arrivez avant 10h45 si vous voulez une place, sinon, preparez-​vous à passer plusieurs heures en place d’attente (et encore, s’il en reste…).
Enfin, normalement une deuxième salle devrait ouvrir pour l’automne 2016… On croise les doigts !
Hormis cela, c’est l’endroit idéal pour travailler: pas d’ados bavards ici, l’ambiance est définitivement studieuse.

L’annexe de la BnF à Richelieu propose des expositions temporaires: en ce moment, sur l’Egypte. On y trouve les premiers clichés photographiques pris vers 1850. C’est intéressant.

First First First… This city is sooooo easy… but I digress…
I went to the Bibliotheque National de France for a photo exhibition of Raymond Depardon wherein he has spent like 20 years photographing the changes in the common places around France. Sort of like if one were to travel around the US to the small towns and countryside and photograph the changes of rural America — same principal.
I did not find the Depardon exhibit (but I’ll look tomorrow). Instead I found the permanent exhibit of the library that includes works or art from the photographic frontier. The exact exhibit is: The origins of photography — Calotype photography in France (1843 – 1860). This was the infancy of more wide-​spread photographic process brought on by the invention of the daguerreotype. There are images from the likes of Henri Courmont, Charles Nègre, Delacroix, Hugo and Adalbert Cuvelier. Most of these names are even now difficult to research via Google, but it is so interesting to see all of the «peers» of this new medium and the evolution of their craft in its infancy. The landscapes are all baron because of the over 1 minute exposure time (moving people do not «appear»). And, the images are often blurry because of this and the quality of the lenses and equipment. Even so, it is possible to see great art in these images — so fascinating.
So I’m looking around after the exhibit and I see a doorway — actually 4 doorways with portals into the next room. On these doors is a «not photographs» sign.” I peer in to find the main study hall of the National Library of France itself. I did not take a picture, but the view was stunning. Imagine: a 7 story circular room about 100 meters in diameter. The first 4 stories are each ringed with books — 4 stories of circular books with a walkway around each one!!! At the top of the dome is a giant skylight of frosted glass and iron (its ancient). Then the floor is covered with rows of desks and about every 5 feet there is a tall brass lamp with a green glass shade — it was simply stunning.
I am confident that this is not the main feature of many guide books. So here is my secret hint to you — go there.

Un haut lieu de culture et de recherché pour remonter l’histoire.
Archives et manuscrits uniques.