1942 Time Capsule Apartment discovered in Paris

[Pat Spade]

Hi, my first post here....
a friend of mine send me this, I thought it might be of interest:
http://belloblog.com/2013/12/23/1942-time-capsule-apartment-discovered-in-paris/

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

This is a neat story it has been posted here many times.

 

[ebonysw45]

i hadnt seen this before. What was interesting was she kepy paying her rent. Thanks for the post.

 

[fashion frank]

i hadnt seen this before. What was interesting was she kepy paying her rent. Thanks for the post.

Just stumbled across this Thread , and I was wondering the same thing ,why did she keep paying the rent yet never to return?
I wonder if she was thinking of returning but "never got around to it?
Very interesting .

All the Best ,Fashion Frank

 

[Mr Oldschool]

Very interesting. Looking at the pictures, I can imagine tiptoeing around and not wanting to disturb anything. There is something sacred about this sort of thing. I'm glad the article says they are not opening it up to the public, it would only ruin it.

 

[Stanley Doble]

My guess: the owner spent winters in Italy or the south of France. During the war she decided to stay there outside the German zone of occupation.

1942, 1943, 1944 came and went. The war ended in 1945 but conditions were so unsettled, better wait till next year. Somehow she never got around to going back to Paris.

Meanwhile her accountant or business manager continued the rent payments as he had been instructed to do when she took the apartment.

Under French rent control laws, inflation made the rent cheaper and cheaper. The rent stayed the same or increased slowly, but the same number of francs that bought a new suit in 1942 bought a packet of cigarettes in 2012.

 

[fashion frank]

My guess: the owner spent winters in Italy or the south of France. During the war she decided to stay there outside the German zone of occupation.

1942, 1943, 1944 came and went. The war ended in 1945 but conditions were so unsettled, better wait till next year. Somehow she never got around to going back to Paris.

Meanwhile her accountant or business manager continued the rent payments as he had been instructed to do when she took the apartment.

Under French rent control laws, inflation made the rent cheaper and cheaper. The rent stayed the same or increased slowly, but the same number of francs that bought a new suit in 1942 bought a packet of cigarettes in 2012.

Wow I din't realize that about the rent control that would certainly explain alot and I for one would have never known that ,thanks.

Shadomega I agree with you as cool as it would be to "step back in time " it would ruin it .

All the Best ,Fashion Frank

 

[Stanley Doble]

Right now in France there are old widows and widowers living alone in 3 and 4 bedroom apartments that they have occupied for 40 years or more, because it is cheaper than moving to a smaller place.

Meanwhile, young families can't find suitable apartments.

Ironically, rent control was enacted because of the housing shortage.