See also: Column (architecture)

A pillar-shaped billboard is an element of the Mobilier urban initially Paris IEN but present in the majority of the French big cities. Of cylindrical form, it is used as support with the promotion of the spectacles and the films. Lit at the night fallen, often rotary, the space which it shelters in its center is sometimes used to store the material of cleaning of the Parisian streets, to shelter Toilette S or public telephone S.

The pillar-shaped billboards owe their name with the Imprimeur Gabriel Morris which obtained from it the concession with advertizing objectives in 1868 the inventor is the Berliner Ernst Litfass (1816 - 1874) who introduces them as of December 1854 in order to fight against wild posting. But already in 1842, the prefect Rambuteau had made set up such columns to be used as support with municipal posting.

Polemic around the destruction of the columns

The decision in 2006 of the Mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoe, to destroy 223 pillar-shaped billboards, with the pretext of désencombrer public space raised violent a polémique.
The pillar-shaped billboards became objects emblematic of the image of Paris, as well as the fountains Wallace and the entries of subway of Hector Guimard. The detractors reproach the municipality for using the pretext of visual comfort to mask the news gives financial (11M€) negotiated with the dealer. Various defense associations worry about the disappearance of a support dedicated to the performing arts to the profit of more profitable advertizing media.

Other countries

The columns of posting also exist in countries other than France. In the countries of language German E, one speaks about Litfaßsäule (“column of Litfass”), according to Ernst Litfaß which introduced them with Berlin in 1854.

See too

Random links:

Candes-Saint-Martin | Velennes (Oise) | Francis Édeline | Circumpolar current the Antarctic