La Cremerie de Paris before Napoleon - the first Post Office in Paris
1852 / 1870 Construction of the Halles de Paris
1854 Creation of the Rue des Halles
| In 1811 Napoléon Bonaparte had the idea of building the Halles de Paris. He wants to restructure the mediavel space between "la Halle aux Blés" and the marquet around the Saint Innocents square. He also wants to include the Halles de Paris project in his ideas, to make Paris become the most beautiful city. In 1848 Victor Baltard et Félix Callet win an architect contest. The "comission des Halles" presided by the prefet de Seine, count Claude Philippe Rambuteau, selected them. Early in 1853 the first Pavillon des Halles was opened. The stone construction didn´t please the French Emperor Napoleon III (nephew of Napoleon I) and his wife Empress Eugenie. |
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| Napoleon III and the Empress have seen a new type of steel bar construction in England. This inspired them and they wanted to do this in Paris. Victor Baltard needed to review the entire project. The first stone built Pavillion was destroyed and replaced by a steel construction. The other nine steel Pavillions followed, they were erected between 1853 and 1870, six in the eastern part, four in the western part. (Alexander Bell invented the phone in 1872, Gustave Eiffel built the Eiffel tower in 1887) Every Pavillon is dedicated to a certain category of products. Progressively other food wholesale stores set up in the surrounding streets like the Rue des Halles. The larger part of the Crèmerie de Paris, located on 15 rue des Halles goes back to June 21 1867, the smaller one goes back to 1690. According to the Legend the Empress Eugénie was there several times. In fact the Crèmerie is close walking distance to her former parisian residence in the Louvre. |
 Tracing project for 9 - 11 rue des Halles / former rue des Fourreurs |
 Tracing project for 15 - 19 rue des Halles / former rue de la Limace |
 Tracing Project 28 - 32 rue des Halles / corner Pavillons Baltard |
The rue des Halles was built in 1854
some years before the construction of the Pavillons Baltard.
Baron Haussmann wanted to connect
the Place du Châtelet and the Halles de Paris.
(For Information the neighboring rue de Rivoli was erected in 1848, boulevard Sebastopol in 1854)
 Rue des Fourreurs view from place Sainte Opportune towards rue des Dèchargeurs. The street was demolished to be able to built the new rue des Halles. |
The construction of rue des Halles required the demolishion of four streets: rue des Fourreurs, rue de la Limace, rue de la Tabletterie and cul de sac Rollin Prend Gage,. Rue des Déchargeurs and rue de la Ferronnerie existent since 1300. |
 This plate "ancienne / former rue des Fourreurs" has been put on the building 14 rue des Halles |
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were constructed shortly after the rue des Halles between 1852 and 1870. (The last two were added in 1936)
 Baron Haussmann, préfet de Seine |
(at the time Paris 75 and the departments 77,78, 91 and 92 were one single administrative unit).
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Rue des Halles is inaugurated June 21 1854.
The name obviously comes from the area les Halles.
The Pavillions Baltard open one by one, the project is accomplished in 1870.
1870 première Crèmerie de Paris
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April 22 1868 the ground foundation plans of the future building 15 rue des Halles were registered. The first owner Madame de Fresnes commisioned the construction of the building where the future Cremerie de Paris would be located. |
Around 1870 opens on the ground floor, a retail cremerie, la Cremerie de Paris |
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During this period most of the agricultural products were sold inside the Pavillions Baltard which are still large enough
to handle the 17.000 tonnes of fruit and vegetables.
The picture was taken in front of the Post Office,
which 110 years later, is still there on 9 rue des Halles.
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and 9, 11,15,17,19,21,23 rue des Halles around 1920.
Even though the exterior of the Post Office has been modified, the statue is still there.
The stautue was erected to remember the church Sainte Opportune
located on the opposite square Sainte Opportune.
The Cremerie de Paris is located on the same side of the street 80 m further down,
on the corner of the rue des Halles and the rue des Déchargeurs.
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Next to Crémerie on 15 rue des Halles (difficult to see) is a Tabac sign (today Bistro des Halles).
Rue des Halles became more and more a street for food stores as the capacity of the Pavillons Baltard became insufficient.
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In 1925 set up the fruit wholesalers Paco Alcaniz
In 1928 the vegetable wholesaler Pierre Chiffray moved to number 11 (Replacing the former entrance of one part of the building).
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The second photo was taken from 22 rue des Halles / corner 12 rue de la Ferronnerie towards the Pavillions on rue Berger.
For over 100 years Les Halles were the major marketplace for agricultural products.
20% of the entire french food production was sold via the Halles de Paris.
Almost every shop on rue des Halles had become a food wholesale business.
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Among this food stored were several Crèmeries, located on 11, 14, 15, 17 rue des Halles and 12 rue de la Ferronnerie.
You can read more about them on the site Le Tyrosemiophile.com
You can also see a historic list of all Crèmeries that had existed in Paris.
More pictures from la rue des Halles during the times of the Halles de Paris / Pavillons Baltard.
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Cremerie de Paris, 9 / 11 rue des Dechargeurs and 15 rue des Halles during the 1950ties - not so glamorous ... Lady Di - who was not born yet - would certainly not have come in. During these year Pendant Edith Piaf was singing "Sous le Ciel de Paris".   The LVideo Clip of Edith Piaf does not show any images of the rue des Halles, but many of the different photographers whoses images are shown were clients of the Cremerie, at one time or another ... |
1970 - Transformation of les Halles
The Crèmerie falls asleep like Sleeping Beauty (La Belle au Bois Dormant)
January 6 1959 the Premier Ministre Michel Debré signs the Décret N° 59-44 on the transfer of the Halles Food Markets.
In 1962 is decided that the Markets should go to Rungis, création de la SEMARIS.
The night of February 28 1969 to March 1st is the last night of the market in les Halles.
20.000 people help to accomplish the transfer to Rungis.
March 3rd 1969 the market officially opened in Rungis.
President Georges Pompidou wants to built a new cultural center in Beaubourg.
The Pavillions Baltard have changed from food to host all kinds of cultural events:
Art expos, theater plays, concerts, antique stores.
An important public movement builts up to maintain the Pavillons Baltard as a cultutal heritage site.
Many Parisians, like the artists Francoise Fabre Luce de Gruson, Robert Doisneau,
Douce Francois Freitas, Henri Cartier Bresson, Serge Gainsbourg and Claude Challe supported the movement
(These artists are mentioned as they were later clients of the Boutiques Electrica for Sony, today the Cremerie de Paris and they told us in person about the old Halles de Paris Markets).
June 24 1971 la fête de la Saint Jean takes place in Les Halles to support the movement ...
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The movement is not powerfull enough to face the ruling power.
President Pompidou and the Prefet Diebold want to built a Modern Shopping Center.
And the RATP (Paris Underground) wants to save money by building the future metro station Châtelet les Halles under an open sky.
August 2 1971 les Pavillons Baltard are demolished while the Parisiens are on vacation.
Only one Pavillon is maintained and transfered to Nogent sur Marne. Today this Pavillon has become an event center.
The three last buildings |
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The quartier and the rue des Halles are the subject to drastic changes.
The transfer of the markets to Rungis represents a cultural and financial shock for the area.
Many small stores see almost all of their clients disapear overnight.
Most food stores around the Pavillions, like the ones from rue des Halles are also closing.
Some turn into shops, others stay empty.
Emmental SA, the Cremerie in 15 rue des Halles / 9-11 rue des Déchargeurs
leaves for Rungis in the summer 1970.
Their new address is
73 avenue d'Auvergne, bat D4, ouest 41, 94150 Rungis (Thank you to Eric Delpierre for this Information)
The space of the Cremerie remained empty for 17 years, until 1987.
The real estate was owned by the nearby department store la Belle Jardinière which was taken in the financial scandal of the Willot brothers.
(The property was finally sold in 1987 to Sofincal, a well reputated Paris real estate administration company)
The construction of the first Forum des Halles by Willerval takes so much time
that the expression le Trou des Halles became part of the French language.
Different projects that replace each other.
1977 - 1979 Opening Pompidou Center & Forum des Halles
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December 7 1977 the RER subway station Châtelet Les Halles opened,
September 4 1979 the Forum des Halles designed by the architect Jean Willerval is inaugurated by the Major of Paris Jacques Chirac.
Early 1980 the Forum des Halles is finaly finished.
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Real estate promoters sell the Forum as a "Window for Luxury Products".
The above brochure mentions "Paris discovers what is new and beautiful"
Level -1 is reserved for fashion and perfume stores,
the lower levels are open to stores selling more basic products.
With the time many smaller Boutiques are replaced by larger stores like Fnac or Habitat.
In 1983 the Novotel Paris les Halles opened. The building and its two neigbors on the left and right side
cut the natural link Baron Haussmann had created between the rue des Halles and the Baltard Pavillions.
The Novotel Paris Les Halles has one of the best occupancy rates in the Hotel Industry.
It is also appreciated for his bar where the barmen Kamel Amirat and Alexandre Poignavent serve drinks
and Luce Perea Scoccimarro sings exotic love songs ...
 Cafe Costes 1984 - 1994 |
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Places in fashion appear
... and dissapear
like the Cafe Costes, place des Innocents,
the 3 Chipie Boutiques, 22 rue des Halles and rue de la Ferronnerie,
the handbag maker Upla, 17 rue des Halles (initialy Upla was a another Crèmerie and the word means = Union de Produits Latiers)
and the restaurant les Bouchons 19 rue des Halles where Andy Warhol used to go when he was in Paris.
... during all these 17 years the Crèmerie de Paris was closed.
1986 - Awakening of the Crèmerie de Paris
1987 / 1989 / 1990 / 1993 La Rue Sony
In 1987 opened on 11 rue des Halles a Telephone Boutique called "Electrica".
The Boutique took some time to get going,
but one day it renamed to "Electrica for Sony" with the phone number 42211111
(At the time phone numbers in France had only 8 digits ... the 16 seperated Paris frome the Province - the number is still in service from outside France you need to dial 0033 1 42211111)
et hop c´est parti ...
At the same time a designer of robotic furniture
renovated the abandoned space of the old Cremerie.
After having been closed for 17 years, the beautiful "pierres de France" (stones from the carriere de Gravel)
reappear behind yellow ceramic tiles put in place during the 1950ies.
The furniture store was "Moderato".
 1987 starts an adventure in Paris |
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In septembre 1990 opened the 3rd the store on 24 rue des Halles (12 rue de la Ferronnerie)
 our website from 1991 .... on the French Minitel system |
attracts Sony Lovers from far away
... even Princess Diana heared about it and became a client.
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La Rue des Halles becomes .... la "Rue Sony".
Sony, who thanks to the personality of Akio Morita,
was at that time
Sony, the one and only,
with Coca Cola, the most famous brand in the World.
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The furniture of the hi tech furniture store Moderato was too expensive
and in June 1993 the former Cremerie on 15 rue des Halles / 9-11 rue des Déchargeurs
becam the 4th Electrica for Sony Boutique, all located on rue des Halles (rue Sony).
In the above picture of the still empty Sony store (Later the Cybercafe de Paris, today the Cremerie de Paris)
one can see through the window Bofhalles (Today Farida B),
another Cremerie and the last food wholesale place of the old day of rue des Halles next to the Pavillons de Baltard / Halles de Paris.
Bofhalles (open from 4 am to 12 am) and Electrica for Sony (open from 11 am to 11 pm)
did not really have the same business hours ...
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Sony Lovers came from all over to the shops on the "Sony Street" (Rue Sony).
There they could find
- unique, just born products, directly imported from Japan and from the US,
impossible to find anywhere else in Europe
- those Sony products that were available in every French department store
- unique service replacement parts, immediately available.
- but the most important was the International Repair Center
for Sony products from all over the world.
Many times urgent repairs could be done the same day.
There is a long list of artists, musicians, photographers, TV reporters, etc
that used this service.
During the first half on the 1990ies
there was not one month without that
Georges Renou from Paris Match
would have mentioned one of the "latest gadgets from rue Sony"
in his "Le Match de la Vie" Lifestyle section.
But November 25 1994,
a tragic event happened at the Sony HQ in Tokyo.
Akio Morita, the founder of the company and the inventor of the Walkman
had to step down following a stroke.
Things change ....
"bizarrement"
since the end of 1995
Sony products, available at Espace Sony shops
take longer and longer and longer
to arrive ....
Also the service parts necessairy for the repair center.
... Sony Lovers, young or old, rich or poor, famous or not, Lady Di, everybody has to wait .... wait .... and wait never ending delivery delays |
 Lady Di came to rue Sony many times. She loved our 2 dogs: Sony and Electrica. |
as if this was already a sign
that soon the Sony of Akio Moria,
Sony, the one and only
would become
Sony, the one behind many others.
(Sony, at the time with Coca Cola the most famous Brand of the World has today been left behind by Apple, LG, HP, GE and many others)
Facing never ending problems
with some people of Sony France of that time
the end of the Boutiques from the Rue Sony seamed close.
In effect Sony France was trying to launch their own concept
of franchised stores called Espace Sony (Today the have more or less dissapeared - Lady Di never went there)
Did these people really have the right to destroy the "Rue Sony" ?
Difficult times follow ...
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seen from a 15 years later perspective it might be as if the oldest inhabitant of the rue des Halles, Sainte Opportune or her statue has whispered to us "just in time" that she did not want the Sony after Morita in her street so beautiful and so full of history. |
Suddely something unexpected happened:
...... INTERNET ......
... "rue Sony" started over again,
just a bit differently
from what was imagined in the beginning ...
1995 Transformation of Electrica for Sony (Cremerie de Paris)
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International Long Distance Phone Lines "Call Back"
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a long time before the end of France Telecom´s monopoly
and the liberalisation of the European Telecom markets
allow us to survive Sony ...
The messy office above and the power girls Melodie and Yovanka,
of our "International Telecom Office"
is the only income during the years 1995 - 1996.
Everything goes through Petaluma next to San Francisco
where the telephone switchboard of the Callback company MTC allows Telephone Lovers
to place long distance phone calls avoiding the exorbitant phone charges of national PTTs.
From California Heide Oesterle and her colleges
connect the new phone subscribers from Paris .... rue des Halles.
... Cybercafe de Paris
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and fill up with computers connected to the Internet.
The beginnings of the Cybercafe in 1997, are more than modest,
the personal computer of Melodie (from the Telecom office)
and another one, out of service, found in front of a trash can ...
During the first months one faithful client comes every Saturday afternoon
to surf in the "Espace Internet Electrica".
Connections still go through the standard phone line
... one should not forget to disconnect the computer when the client is gone as the Internet connection is charged by the minute.
One day the name changes to Cybercafe de Paris
.... and suddenly Internet Users travelling Paris call .... 0142211111 to get directions.
More and more Internet Users,
in the beginning, 80% are Americans
- walking through the center of Paris
- on transit between the airports Roissy Charles de Gaulle / Orly and a train station
- or clients of the Hotel Ritz which at the time did not yet have an Internet connection
.... everybody desperately trying to get online.
... Phonebook of the World.com
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for the first time the Cybercafe opens on a public holiday.
But not only people looking for a an Internet connection,
also a client that has difficulties to find phone numbers in other countries.
.... this gives the idea to create the website
Phonebook of the World.com
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more and more clients ...
People from Paris that want to discover the Internet,
young people,
older ones,
people from the subburbs as well as from the chic districts in Paris.
Parisians start to mix with the International travellers.
Following the advice of Massimo Gargia, Princess Soraya, comes every Thursday, to be distracted from the slightly boaring ambiance of her ultra chic avenue Montaigne. She took regular Internet Lessons in the Cybercafé de Paris Arriving every time in her red Rolls Royce ... very discreately parked in front of the cafe. |
Few other places in Paris have know such a mix of different people
comme s´il fallait de tout pour faire un monde (as if you need a little bit of everything to make the world).
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As she did not know about Internet and as she did not know the expression "Cybercafe"
she is very curious to understand
what is going on in rue des Halles number 15.
And one day,
after watching a young lady leaving the Cybercafe in tears (she must have received a sad Email from a leaving boyfriend) ...
Farida B decides to cross the street
and to ask
"What the hell are you doing here ?".
(PS In 1997 The hairsaloon Farida B was the cremerie, Bofhalles the last food wholesaler on rue des Halles.)
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the Paris TV stations call ou 0142211111
and ask if a camera team can come within an hour
to interview the clients of the Cybercafé de Paris.
Not many places outside the US have lived as close the arrival of the Internet
giving our rue des Halles considerable media exposure
... as if this had a mysterious relation with the long history of the shop.
... Yellowpages.fr - Whitepages.in
Hotels of the World.com - Visit 5th Avenue.com - Phonebook of NY.com
VB.com, VB.com Internet Hall of Fame
.... etc, etc
Mai 2004, Liberalisation of Domain Names in France.
The domains Yellowpages.fr, Whitepages.fr
and many other .fr
were registered 15 rue des Halles
Internet access is becoming more and more populare,
homesubscriptions are getting cheaper
and wifi connections pop up everwhere
... Internet Cafés are getting less necessary.
Februray 15 2005 the Cybercafe de Paris closes,
probably the sadest day in the history of the rue des Halles
Une époque semble terminée ...
2007 - Crèmerie again abandoned during 3 years
The location is rented
to the Maison de la Literie, a french furniture company.
Summer 2007 a large Industrial group (over 50.000 people) is looking for a spot to open a new showroom
and contacts the furniture store.
Octobre 2007 the Industrial group signs a new lease
not a good idea .... which turns into a nightmare.
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Just arrived, the new tenant
takes the jackhammer and within a few hours everything is distroyed. ... no more staircase ... no more ground floor ... a desaster this without any permission, without architect, without insurance, made by "discount" workers. Terrified neighbours call the police to stop the construction. |
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Cremerie de Paris between octobre 2007 and august 2010 |
The worst difficulties to find someone responsible.
The directors of the industrial groupe change all the time,
nobody is responsible.
The Boutique is abandonned,
But what is a Cremerie in the eyes of a large industrial group that might think to be above the laws ... ?
There remains only one hope:
our lawyer Corinne Fajgenbaum,
a specialist of French real estate laws.
The beginning of a long court case ....
facing different law firms of a company with unlimited financial ressources.
Websites invented in the Cybercafe de Paris
on 15 rue des Halles
continue to be developped:
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2011 - Reopening of the Cremerie de Paris
The store remains closed for 3 years ...
People wonder:
but what can have happened to the Cybercafe ?
How is it possible that a place where Lady Di used to go is completely abandoned ?
And this in the very center of Paris ...
Corinne Fajgenbaum never stops ....
One letter after the other
Years go by ....
Corinne Fajgenbaum has 3 things in common with someone that is also part of the history of the Halles de Paris, Edith Piaf: curled hair, the exact same address, 67 boulevard Lannes 75016 and .... a une never ending energy. |
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It is like as if Edit Piath was able to transmit some of her energy and charisma
to her neighbourg, even though they have never met.
...Finaly,
after intervention of the mediator of the Tribunal de Commerce de Paris in september 2010,
the industrial group decides to renovate the store before returning the keys.
octobre 18 2010.
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La Cremerie de Paris october 18 2010 while getting the keys returned - in the picture you see Maitre Fajgenbaum accompanied by law clercs, architects, construction security Experts ... |
Ony one problem remains ....
the staircase the industrial group had just constructed
does not correspond to legal security requirements.
Impossible to rent the store with such a staircase.
The courtcase continues ... (in the meantime a settlement has been found april 20 2011)
what to do now ??
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Staircase of the Cremerie during an expertise meeting decembre 16 2010 - the picture shows Maitre Corinne Fajgenbaum, an expert designated by the Tribunal de Commerce de Paris and different opposed lawyers. |
One thing is clear ... without the efficiency and the determination of Corinne Fajgenbaum
the location of the Crémerie would still be today an abandoned site under construction.
November 10 2010 a new idea ...
and if the place reopened,
not as a Cybercafe (the time is over),
not as a Sony store (the brand is no longer what it was)
but as a "Cremerie / Milkstore" it´s orinigal occupation
from 1870 to 1970 ...
... A Crémerie ?? What a strange idea ... not really a classic crémerie that sells milk products |
 ... a crémerie slightly different ... .... la Cremerie de Paris |
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People from the area are surprised that we are still there
after all theses years
always forced to ajust to changes of times
as if the Cremerie was already a tiny bit part
of history of the Halles de Paris ...
Different expos and showrooms
located in the Cremerie de Paris
might give birth to new adventures
taking birth
right in the
heart of the Paris
of tomorrow ....
Expo Center in front of
the future gate of the French Capital
... right in the heart of the Paris of tomorrow
