Hermès Helps Deyrolle
You may have heard by now that Deyrolle, a Parisian institution, a veritable cabinet des curiosités and part of the collective memory of generations of French school children, suffered terrible damage on the 1st of February due to a fire of unknown origin, most likely caused by a short circuit.
Fifty-five firemen and 14 engines responded to the fire, which started in the entomology room at the back of the store and burned through the night, reducing to ashes the butterly and insect collections, as well as most of the animal specimens.
Deyrolle has been doing business since 1831. One had only to look at the people gathered in front of the store the morning after the fire to realize how much the store has meant to the fabric of the neighborhood and the city, even to all of the country (not to mention the visitors from abroad). In the windows, just as on the web site, expressions of sympathy and solidarity are posted.
One of the reasons for starting this blog was the hope of learning from the people who read and comment here. Happily, it has exceeded my expectations. It was from the lovely cigalechanta that I learned of an opportunity for, as we used to say, “doing well by doing good.”
The house of Hermès is offering a special edition of one of their silk squares, “Plumes,” (Feathers). The scarf is priced at €265, the proceeds from the sale going to the reconstruction of Deyrolle. The scarves must be ordered before the first of June, and will be available in September. To order and to see a picture of the scarf, go to the Deyrolle site and fill out the order form.
Photo: Deyrolle, a Sunday morning, September 2007.
Jan del Monte, blogging from the rue du Cherche-Midi, Paris, France
©2008 Jan del Monte
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Thanks Jan, for helping my favorite shop and I like the photo you have posted.
Oh, Mimi, I’m glad you saw it. I wish you could see the shop — it looks like they are really getting it together, and they have so much support. It’s really great.