Apartment in Paris

8/22/2016

In 1940, a woman by the name of Solange Beaugiron (1919–2010) the granddaughter of Marthe DeFlorian left her apartment in Paris and never returned.  The rent was paid on the apartment until her death in 2010.  This is a true story and a fascinating one.

After her death, her executors opened the apartment for the first time since 1940.  Everything was just as Ms. DeFlorian left the apartment, although now covered in dust and cobwebs.  Books and newspapers lined the shelves, gold curtains draped the windows, and a luxurious dressing table held hairbrushes, perfumes, and candle stubs that seemed to await the return of a very glamorous noblewoman. Against floral wallpaper and wainscoting, a stuffed ostrich draped with a shawl stood above two pre-war stuffed animals—a very retro-looking Mickey Mouse and Porky the Pig. The formal dining room, with a low-hanging chandelier over the table, wood stove, and stone sink, was still fully stocked with glassware and pots and pans.

To say that when the door to the apartment was unlocked after so many years, would be a shock to the system is an understatement.  I can only imagine how exciting it must have been for Ms. DeFlorian's heirs when they walked inside.  It's not every day when you get to go back in time.

Opening up the apartment provokes questions - lots of questions.  Why didn't she return to the apartment?  Why did she continue to pay rent?  Was she a kept woman?   These are just a few questions that pop immediately into my mind. 

A picture of Ms. DeFlorian was painted by Giovanni Boldini and sold at auction for $2,374,648.50.

It's worth checking out Ms. DeFlorian's story and seeing more pictures of the inside of her apartment.

P