Old and New Paris: Its History, Its People, and Its Places, v. 2

About this book

The work is a sprawling, illustrated reference on Paris, published in 1894 by H. Sutherland Edwards, a prolific writer of historical and cultural studies. Its front matter explains that the edition strives to reproduce the original printing, with only minor typographical corrections, and it retains the period’s spelling and accentuation. The book is organized into more than forty numbered chapters, each devoted to a distinct facet of the city, ranging from “Street Characters” and “The English and Americans in Paris” to detailed surveys of institutions such as the Sorbonne, the Panthéon, and the Parisian hospitals. The opening chapter already sets the tone, describing the everyday life of coachmen, flower‑girls, and oyster‑women, and hinting at the author’s intent to catalogue both the mundane and the monumental aspects of the capital. The extensive list of illustrations, from scenes on the Champs‑Élysées to interior views of museums and prisons, promises a richly visual accompaniment to the textual survey.

Edwards writes in a formal, descriptive style characteristic of late‑Victorian travel literature, blending factual reportage with occasional anecdotal flourish. The prose is dense but accessible, peppered with the author’s own observations and occasional humor about Parisian customs. Readers who enjoy exhaustive city guides, historical topographies, or the social‑cultural panoramas of 19th‑century Europe will find this volume rewarding. It especially appeals to those interested in the evolution of urban life, the architecture of Parisian institutions, and the colorful cast of characters that populated the city before the turn of the century.