While visiting Saint Germain des Prés last summer I happened upon this young woman hard at work. Carefully removing years and years of soot and grime from this wall engraved with names. A delicate and time consuming work.
Our friend Chuckeroon at Richmond Upon Thames might know more about what she is doing and using for her work
I love that you wandered to the dark corner and found this young woman working. She was bringing to light names that perhaps have lain hidden for some time, and you, too, bring them to light, to us.
Cleaning is deceptively simple. You end up with water, soap and a tooth brush. But before that, you have to analyse the dirt, know the composition of the stone,and control the ph index of the water making it neutral, oh, so slightly acid or oh, os so slightly alkaline, then get hold of loads of volunteers and just scrub...gently.
I am a former elementary school teacher, a full-time photographer, lover of all things French ( whose French is slowly improving), obsessive Paris traveler, enthusiastic church and community volunteer, and grandmother to 5 delightful grandchildren.
I fell in love with Paris in March 2007. It was as the French say, le coup de foudre : love at first sight. As a result of that trip, my photography took another direction. Since that time I have pursued a career of sorts in photography and dreamed of returning to the City of Light. November 2008 found me strolling the streets of Paris once again. My first visit I was so overwhelmed with the incredible beauty of the city, I photographed it as a "tourist". In 2008 I returned and I looked at the city with more of a photographer's eye. I wanted to capture the unique, the small details, and oh yes - the people! This blog was started as a photo diary of that trip, but I have been most fortunate to return to the city j'adore 15 times since. Each time I leave, I wipe a tear and start planning my list for the next trip. Paris may well be a moveable feast, but I think it's best savored in person! Someone told me that once you have been to Paris, you will leave a piece of your heart. I left mine right there, but I brought home some wonderful memories. It is my pleasure to share them with you.
5 comments:
Wow, quite a job, wonder how they got so totally covered over to begin with... and who were they, all the names ?
I love that you wandered to the dark corner and found this young woman working. She was bringing to light names that perhaps have lain hidden for some time, and you, too, bring them to light, to us.
I'd like to know, too, who they were.
Petrea and Owen,
Oh merci for your comments. I'm pleased that you found these photos as intriguing as I did .
V
Too bad you couldn't have stayed to see the part she finished.
BTW, today's word verification is PRADA.
Cleaning is deceptively simple. You end up with water, soap and a tooth brush. But before that, you have to analyse the dirt, know the composition of the stone,and control the ph index of the water making it neutral, oh, so slightly acid or oh, os so slightly alkaline, then get hold of loads of volunteers and just scrub...gently.
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