I Prefer Paris: The Angels of Paris: Interview with Rosemary Flannery

I am thrilled to announce the launch of the book The Angels of Paris: An Architectural Tour through the History of Paris by Rosemary Flannery. Today is an interview with Rosemary about this must-have book for anyone who loves the architecture and history of Paris along with ravishing photos.

How did you come up with the idea for The Angels of Paris?
I used to go jogging in the Parc Montsouris and would see this giant angel on top of a column, just at the entrance to the park. It seemed so welcoming and protective, I loved the way it seemed to greet me each morning. Later, I began to notice angels all over Paris, adorning not just churches but on sundials, atop theatres, over doorways and in all sorts of unexpected and unusual places. I originally thought of doing a series of cards illustrated with photos of angels but became curious about the history behind each angel, and who created them, and why they were there. The way that the angels reflect the various art movements from the Gothic, through the Renaisssance, baroque and rococo periods up to Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles is also quite fascinating.

On what basis did you select the angels?
I selected them in particular if they were beautiful or curious or unusual, or if they had an interesting story to tell. I also wanted to have an angel – at least one – for each arrondissement. The older districts such as the Marais, and the 5th and 6th have the most angels, but the later arrondissments often have only one or two. I was determined to find at least one for each area.

Which was the most surprising?
It’s hard to say, so many of them are amazing. I guess it would be the angel of the rue de Turbigo - he’s immense, a giant angel spanning three floors of the façade of a residential building. The head of the Nagasaki angel, a vestige of a church bombed in 1945, was later offered as a gift to the UNESCO Peace Garden. It is very poignant and surprising because it survived and is now in Paris.

Angel of rue de Turbigo

Nagasaki angel

How many angels did you start with originally and how did you choose the ones that made it into the book?
I started with about 30 angels, which quickly grew to about 90 or so. The book has 70 angels; I chose the most interesting ones with the most intriguing stories.

You wrote and took all the photos, which is quite an accomplishment. Did the writing inform or influence the photographs or vice versa?
The photos serve to illustrate the writing. I tried to take pictures which would best tell the particular story or show the idiosyncrasy – the personality! - of each angel.

What was the most rewarding part and the most frustrating part of your research?
Doing research is like going on a treasure hunt or being a detective. It’s fascinating; even if you don’t always find what you’re looking for, you inevitably find something else along the way. The most rewarding was finding a copy of a 1665 engraving, which showed angel carvings over the side door of the St. Nicolas du Chardonnet Church in the 5th. These angels originally held a cross and a crosier, which zealous Revolutionaries replaced with pikes in 1792! They were recruited into the revolutionary army. . . The most frustrating part was seeing a gorgeous little angel carved in wood, above a doorway on the avenue de l’Opera, and not being able to write about it, because absolutely no information exists about the construction of the building, or who the architect or sculptor were.

I would think that each angel is like one of your children and you love them the same but is there an angel or two that is close to your heart or resonated with you in a deep way?
The medieval angels from Notre Dame and from the house of Nicolas Flamel. There is such variety, humor, pathos and fine design in each of them. They are beautifully sculpted with such intricate details, and they seem very humanistic.

If you could invite one angel over for dinner, who would it be, what would you make, and what would the conversation be?
The angel playing the mandolin from the 1407 house of Nicolas Flamel. The conversation would be all about the Marais during the Middle Ages, and whether or not Flamel – reputed to be an alchemist – really was. The angel could tell me about the characters who frequented the house, which had – and still has – an auberge on the ground floor. Flamel was a great entrepreneur; he was a jurist and a copyist, he illuminated manuscripts, had a bookstore, and taught the art of the illuminated manuscripts at his school. It’s believed he designed his own tombstone, and most likely made the drawings for the four angel musicians engraved in stone, flanking the entrance to the house.

This particular angel looks like he has a great sense of humor, so I think the dinner would really be a lot of fun. Maybe he’d play us a few melodies? Not sure that angels eat and drink, but if so I’d probably serve him my famous soufflé au fromage with some mead wine. Table would be dressed with roses from the rue des Rosiers, and for dessert, maybe some macarons to bring him into the 21st century!

Nicolas Flamel Angel with Mandolin
Parc Montsouris angel

Revolutionary angel, St Nicolas du Chardonnet Church

The Angels of Paris goes on sale tomorrow but you can pre-order it today on Amazon.
Click here to order.

Rosemary will be will doing book signings and personal appearances in Paris and the East coast of the U.S.later tis month and in December. Below is a list of her dates and venues, so please support Rosemary and attend her events if you can.

Wednesday November 28th @ 7:30PM American Library in Paris, 10 rue du General Camou, 75007 Evenings with an Author: Rosemary Flannery, Angels of Paris

Saturday December 1, 2012 3:00 - 4:30PM-Rizzoli Bookstore, 31 West 57th Street, NYC. Reception and book signing on the mezzanine

December 8, 2012 2PM - 3:30PM Philadelphia Center for Architecture / AIA, 1218 Arch Street, Philadelphia PA. A 45-minute lecture followed by a book signing

Friday December 14, 2012 Barnes & Noble Bookstore, Route 17, Paramus, NJ: Book signing 7PM - 9PM