Wallace fountain

The fountains Wallace are public points of Drinking water which appear as small shelter S in cast iron present in several French-speaking cities and in other cities around the world. It is nevertheless with Paris that they were established in first, and that one finds the greatest number of it. They hold their name of English Richard Wallace who financed their construction. Of a great esthetic success, they are recognized in the whole world like one of the Symbole S of Paris.

Context

During the war of 1870 declared by Napoleon III against the Prussia, Paris knows very hard times. The re-establishment of the Republic, the episode of the Common of Paris, the Bombardment S destructors of the Prussians, the defeat cuisante which leaves the Alsace-Lorraine with the latter, are as many upheavals which harm the city.

The rebuilding of the city is very fast, in spite of the devastations. Into less than ten years, this one is transformed: new buildings (Sacred Heart…), new Boulevard S (Raspail, Saint-Germain…). Moreover, the fashion is with philanthropy: the middle-class fortunate finance many “good works” (Croix-Rouge, Salvation Army, philanthropic Société…) in order to maintain their reputation.

The silent partner: Sir Richard Wallace

Among these philanthropists, Sir Richard Wallace is one of most eclectic and most discrete.

Having inherited his/her father a great fortune in August 1870, it decides to make some profit the Parisian ones, which is worth a great popularity to him. One can regard it as a philanthropist, with the clean direction of the term, in opposition to certain members of the good company, for which the actions of Charité are only one means of increasing to them Notoriété. Its devotion pushes it to remain in its Parisian villa whereas this one is besieged, in order to be able to be where one needed him, rather than to take refuge in one of its luxurious properties.

It also founds a Hôpital, deals with the reception of the victims of the bombardments, or of the distribution of vivres to the population. There remains always faithful to its nation of adoption, France, where he rests from now on, with the Cimetière of the Father-Lachaise.

The fountains bearing its name count among its many contributions to the Parisian inheritance.

Why fountains?

Following the head office of Paris and the episode of the Commune, many Aqueduc S is destroyed, and the price of water, already raised, is increased considerably by it. So the many ones stripped not having access to water are unable to find some free.

Consequently, the temptation of the “wine merchants” is large at the poor ones, and it is a moral duty which to help them and to allow them not to plunge in the drunkenness. The urgent need of these breweries of the four women is clearly proven by the speed to which the project is concretized. Still today, where water and hygiene are not a problem for the great majority of the Parisian ones, these fountains are however often the only free water points for people like SDF.

But stripped are not the only recipients of these installations. Even if their goal is to make it possible to the maximum of people to the modest incomes to have access to drinking water, they are not the only users. Indeed, all the passers by can there be refreshed, rich person or the poor.

The philosophy of Wallace is to help effectively and discreetly those which need some: the fountains are the manner of that point reaching while carrying out its wish to embellish Paris, without making in the spectacular one.

Design

Richard Wallace conceives itself these fountains. Contrary to the urban Mobilier current, those are done to combine esthetic and utility, which appears essential to him. The fountain must be conceived in the respect of a strict schedule of conditions:

size: enough large to be visible by far, but not to waste too much the harmony of the Landscape
the form: at the same time practical of use and esthetic
the price: accessible to allow the installation of tens of specimens
the material used: resisting, easy to work, and convenient of maintenance

The sites are chosen by the town hall, as well as the color (major green, like all the urban furniture of this time, in order to be discrete and harmonizes some with the parks and alleys bordered of trees).

Wallace created two different models, followed by two other models. The four models are of different size and design. The material used is the cast iron, material economic, easy to mould, robust, and very much used at the time. The near total of the expenditure is dealt with by Wallace. The town of Paris takes part in height of 1 000 frank for the great model, and 450 francs for the mural model.

The realization of the fountains will be the work of the foundries of the Valley of Osne, located in Haute-Marne, close to Saint-Dizier, great area of production of cast iron of art then. One can read on the base of the oldest fountains the signature of the factory. Later, the production (which is always currently prolonged) will be done with Sommevoire (Haute-Marne) by the GHM (General of hydraulics and mechanics), Antoine Durenne having repurchased the Valley of Osne and continuing to produce innumerable statues, fountains and parts of urban furniture.

The success of the Wallace fountains will naturally generate copies by concurrent foundries, which explains why one finds fountains which are “with the manner of”, without being authentic Wallace fountains.

The sculptor

Wishing that its project be concretized as soon as possible, Wallace called upon Charles-Auguste Lebourg, a sculptor whom it knows to have already made there call. This Nantais however improves the sketches of Wallace, already very precise and considered, to make these fountains of true works of Article.

Various models

Great model

(2,71 m for 610 kg)

Conceived by Sir Richard Wallace, this model takes as a starting point the “Fontaine of Innocent the”.

On a stone base of Hauteville, a base with eight sides rests on which comes to adjust the upper part made up of four Cariatide S turning the back and supporting with end of arm a dome decorated with a point, and decorated with Dauphin S.

Water is distributed in a thin net since the center of the dome, then fall into a basin which from now on is protected by a grid. To facilitate the distribution, two galvanized iron goblets retained by chains, are at the disposal of the consumer, remaining always immersed for more cleanliness. Those are removed in 1952 “by measurement of hygiene”, on request of the Council of Public health of old the department of the the Seine.

For more information, to see the data sheet

The four caryatids represent the Bonté, the Simplicité, the Charité and the Sobriété. They all are different, either by the position of their Genou, or by the way in which them Tunique is tied on the level of the Corsage.

Model out of bracket

(1,96 m for 300 kg)

It is about the second model of Sir Richard. In the middle of a semicircular pediment, the head of a Naïade pours a small filament of water which comes to fall into a marine basin resting between two Pilastre S. Two goblets also made it possible to drink there, but they were withdrawn with the title of the law of 1952 quoted in the preceding paragraph.

This model, inexpensive to install, was to be multiplied along the walls of the buildings with strong human concentration of the hospital type, barracks, etc That is not the case and there remains today one specimen, located Rue Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire.

Small size

(1,32 m for 130 kg)

They are simple public fountains with push-button which one can find in the public gardens or the public gardens, and marked Parisian ecu (to be noted that installed on the Place of the Invalids does not have these ecu S). They are very appraisals of the mothers taking along their children to play in the many small parks of the capital.

Measuring only 1,32 m for a mass of 130 kg, they are entirely financed by the Mairie of Paris.

Model with posts

(2,50 m for a little more 500 kg)

This last model is carried out thereafter. The caryatids are replaced by posts to reduce the manufacturing costs. The general shape of the fountain is comparable with that of the great model, although the capital is not also pointed, and the more curved lower part.

Manufactured in about thirty specimens, there remain only two, one today about it Rue of Rémusat, the other Avenue of the Terns.

Where to place them?

The choice of the site of the fountains is left at the town of Paris. Those must be easily accessible to the public, and be integrated in the most harmonious possible way in their environment. The majority are set up on places or with the angle of street S. It is Eugene Belgrand (Engineer hydrologist, director of Water and Égouts of Paris, it works much with the prefect Haussmann) which is charged to choose their site.

Wallace fountains and fountains known as Wallace

The first two models (great model and model out of bracket) are designed and financed by Sir Richard Wallace, from where them name. The two other models are created in the same style, and the resemblance is obvious, but they are created following the success of the preceding ones.

However, the more recent designs do not equalize those of Wallace, impassioned Renaissance, endeavouring to combine utility, esthetics, symbolic system, in order to make a true work of Article of it For example, one does not find the figures of women in the following ones. However, the female presence in the designs of Wallace take again the omnipresent symbolic system in the art of the Rebirth, making a parallel between water and the woman, two mothers, tender and sensual.

Today

The majority of the fountains still present in the city nowadays still function, and distribute, as opposed to what think of many passers by, drinking water. They constitute rare free water points of the capital, from which the SDF profit for which they is vital, and the passers by. Sir Richard Wallace thus achieved his goal, probably well beyond its hopes.

They function from March 15th to November 15th (the risks of freezing during the months of Hiver putting in danger plumbing interns), are regularly maintained and repainted every two years.

They form integral part of the Parisian, typical landscape and Pittoresque, as well as the Eiffel Tower or the poulbots, like included/understood it well the Réalisateur S. Indeed, a plan on a Wallace fountain makes it possible to state clearly that the action of film proceeds in Paris. It is not a chance if Jean-Pierre Jeunet in the Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain , baptized one of the characters Madeleine Wallace (“it cries like a madeleine, or a fountain… Wallace! ”)

Since more than one century that they are in place, these fountains almost never underwent criticism, were always respected. Even by the Nazi S which however melted of many Parisian statues to make weapons of them. However, they are still not classified “historic building” just like besides the not less famous pillar-shaped billboards.

Sites

Paris

88 fountains “great model”

2 {{E}} district

6 Street Saint Whorl, Street of Alexandria

3 {{E}} district

Boulevard of Sébastopol, Public garden Chautemps
Passage of the Bridge to the hinds, angle street Notre Dame de Nazareth
6 face street of the Rope manufacture

4 {{E}} district

Place Louis-Lépine, side Chamber of commerce
Louis-Lépine Place, side Hospital
7 Boulevard of the Palate
123 Street Saint-Anthony
9 allée des Justes (anc. street of the Attic on water)

5 {{E}} district

Street Thouin, with the crossing with the Street of Estrapade
Street Poliveau, face Street of the Test
Place Maubert
37 Street of Bûcherie
Place of the Patriarchs

6 {{E}} district

Place Saint-Germain-of-Meadows
Place Saint-Sulpice
New Bridge, Quay of Large-Augustins the
Street Vavin, angle of the Street Bréa
Place Saint-Andre-of-Arts

8 {{E}} district

Street of Saint-Pétersbourg, angle Street of Turin
Which occurred of the Fields-Élysées, on the level of the Horses of Marly (northern side)
Which occurred of the Fields-Élysées, on the level of the Horses of Marly (southern part)
82 Which occurred Marceau, angle street Vernet

9 {{E}} district

Place Gustave Toudouze
4 Place of Budapest

10 {{E}} district

Place Juliette-Dodu
Place Jacques-Bonsergent
Place Robert-Desnos angle street Servant boy Zelensky

11 {{E}} district

143 Street of the Rocket
197 Boulevard Voltaire
44 Street Jean-Pierre-Timbaud
94 rue Jean-Pierre-Timbaud
1 Boulevard Richard-Lenoir
89 boulevard Richard-Lenoir

12 {{E}} district

Course of Vincennes, vis-a-vis the Boulevard of Picpus
Angle of the Which occurred of Saint-Mandé and the Street of the Appointment
Street Descot, face town hall of the 12th district
24 Avenue Ledru Rollin
Rue Montempoivre - street of Vega
Face 122 which occurred Daumesnil angle 187 Rue of Charenton
Face 122 rue de Charenton angle boulevard Diderot

13 {{E}} district

82 Which occurred of Italy
Angle of the Street of the Ridge-with-Ruails and the Street of the Hope
ZAC Baudricourt, angle of the Which occurred of Ivry
Place Louis Armstrong
Intersection of the streets Domremy and Richemont
178 rue Jeanne d'Arc

14 {{E}} district

Which occurred Reille, angle of the Which occurred Rene-Coty
Place Jules-Hénaffe, angle Reille Avenue, street of Falls-Issoire
Place Edgar-Quinet, angle of the Rue of Gaîté
Place Denfert-Rochereau, angle of the Boulevard Raspail
Avenue of Maine, vis-a-vis the town hall of the 14th district

15 {{E}} district

Place Henri-Rollet
2 Boulevard Pasteur, angle Street Lecourbe and Street of Sevres, under the elevated railway
Place of the General-Beuret (angle street Blomet, street Cambronne)
Place Charles-Vallin (angle street of Vaugirard - street Desnouettes)
Place Hubert Monmarché (Town hall of the 15th district)
Place Alain Chartier (angle street of Vaugirard, street of convention -- curiosity: large and a small Wallace fountain is installed one beside the other)

16 {{E}} district

10 Boulevard Delessert
194 Which occurred of Jean-Lorraine Versailles
Place
Place of Passy
Place of the Father-Marcellin-Champagnat

17 {{E}} district

112 Which occurred of Villiers, place of the Marshal June
Place Aime Maillard
13 Which occurred Niel, street Bayen
12 Boulevard of Batignolles
3 Place Lévis angle street Legendre
Place Richard Barret angle street Mariotte (face town hall 17th)
75 Place du Docteur Félix Lobligeois angle places Charles Fillon

18 {{E}} district

Place Emile-Goudeau
42 Boulevard Rochechouart
Street Saint-Eleuthère, angle of the Street Azaïs
Place of the Abbesses
Street of the gold Drop, angle of the Street of Chartres
Place of the Red Castle, angle street Custine, street Chicken

19 {{E}} district

125 rue de Meaux
Angle street Manin - avenue Simon Bolivar
face 3 rue Lally Tollendal angle street of Meaux, street Armand Carrel
Boulevard Sérurier angle passage of Mauxins
106 rue de Meaux

20 {{E}} district

Place Edith Piaf
6 Street Belgrand
29 Boulevard of Ménilmontant side cemetery Father Lachaise
Place Maurice-Knight
Street Piat, vis-a-vis the Public garden of Belleville
Place Octave-Chanute
street of the Mulberry trees angle street of Leaving the

9 fountains “small size”

7 {{E}} district

Place of the Invalids

11 {{E}} district

32 Boulevard Richard Lenoir
74 boulevard Richard Lenoir

13 {{E}} district

Place Paul Verlaine

15 {{E}} district

Place Alain Chartier
Place Saint Charles
19 place of the Trade
35 Boulevard Pasteur

17 {{E}} district

5 Place of Lévis

2 fountains with posts

16 {{E}} district

Place of Barcelona (near to the Street of Rémusat, the Street Mirabeau, the Which occurred of Versailles and the Bridge Mirabeau)

17 {{E}} district

Place Tristan Bernard, Which occurred of the Terns, angle of the Street Pierre Demours

Fountains out of bracket

5 {{E}} district

Street Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire, angle of the Street Vat

18 {{E}} district

20 rue Norvins

In Ile-de-France except Paris

Wood-doves

A fountain is installed in the district of Heathers with Wood-Doves

Bondy

With Bondy:

On the place of the station.

Charenton-the-bridge

With Charenton-the-Bridge, a Wallace fountain is installed place Henri IV.

Defense

A fountain is installed on the esplanade of Defense

Garenne-Doves

A fountain is installed in the park of the Town hall of Garenne- theDoves, Parc Victor Roy

Noisy-the-large

With Noisy-the-Large, one finds a Wallace fountain in the street Pierre Brossolette.

Roissy - Charles de Gaulle Airport

With the Roissy - Charles de Gaulle, one finds a Wallace fountain with the terminal 2C.

Saint-Germain-in-bush hammer

With Saint-Germain-in-Bush hammer:

Street of Algiers

Sucy in Brie

With Sucy-in-Brie one finds a Wallace fountain in the street of the Temple.

Versailles

At Versailles, a Wallace fountain is located Charost place

Out of Paris/Ile-de-France

In France

Angers

With Angers:

Place of the dairy (Doutre)
Esplanade Saint Maurice

Bordeaux

The October 6th 1873, another philanthropist, Daniel Osiris, ordered six fountains great model and required of the commune of Bordeaux to install them.

Three disappeared in ignored circumstances.

One of them is in the Arts center of Creon (33).

The municipality chose to establish republications of them.

One of them, course Xavier Arnozan, was recently offered by downward to sir Wallace, who resides opposite the fountain.

Three offered by Daniel Iffla Osiris sont :

Public garden
Garden of the town hall
Place of the General Sarrail

The latter moved by the Willmotte architect was a time established Stalingrad place in Bordeaux Bastide where it did not have any more any direction. The Osiris giver wanting it near to his birthplace, of Bordeaux, Richard Zéboulon, fought so that it returned on its initial site repainted in green worsens. He obtained win after conflict with the Alain Juppe mayor.

Republication are established:

Place of Stalingrad
Place Oporto-Rich person
Place Jacques Lemoine
Place Mitchell
Course Xavier Arnozan

Chantilly (60)

a Wallace fountain offered to the city in 1903, by the Parisian diamond cutter François Wells, is installed in front of the Versepuy place.

Clermont-Ferrand

With Clermont-Ferrand:

Between the street of the November 11th and places it of Jaude

Coursan

With Coursan in the Aude, two Wallace fountains.

Créon

With Créon in the Gironde, in the Arts center.

Dunkirk

With Dunkirk in North, vis-a-vis the Law courts.

Game preserve-Saint-Hilaire

With Game preserve-Saint-Hilaire a fountain is installed Place of the Market of Champignol

Mans

A fountain with posts was installed in 1882 with the Botanical garden, in the English garden.

Lille

A fountain is installed place of Béthune.

Marseilles

With Marseilles, fountains are installed:

close to the Palate Longchamp: the caryatids are of gilded color ;
with the intersection of the street of the Three-Kings and the street of the Three-Magi: it is of color Brun E.

Montpellier

a fountain is located on the Saint-Denis place (vis-a-vis the church)
a fountain is located in top of the street Jules Ferry at the crossing with the street of Verdun

Mills (To combine)

a fountain is located on the courses

Nancy

A fountain is located street of the Ladies, with the bedside of the Basilique Saint-Epvre, with Nancy. It is of color Bleu E.

Nantes

The sculptor who carried out the fountains ordered by Sir Richard Wallace, Charles Auguste Lebourg, was of Nantes origin . Some were set up in Nantes in the honor of the creator:

Course Cambronne
Botanical garden, close to the botanical garden
Botanical garden, close to the entry of the station the SNCF
Park of Gaudinière
Place of the Stock Exchange

Nogent-le-Rotrou

With Nogent-le-Rotrou, one finds a Wallace fountain places Saint-pol.

Périgueux

With Périgueux, one finds a Wallace fountain on the place Louis Magne. The fountain was installed there in 1982 during the installation of this place.

Rheims

With the Ponsardin public garden.

Saint-Denis of the Meeting

With Saint-Denis, one finds a Wallace fountain in the Jardin of the State.

Toulon

At Toulon, a Wallace fountain is located at the entry of the municipal markets.

Toulouse

At Toulouse, Wallace fountains are located on the Saint-Georges place, in the garden of the Large Round, the Botanical garden, and Laganne place in front of the gallery of the water tower.

Uzès (Gard)

At Uzès, First Duchy of France, at about thirty kilometers in the north of Nimes, a Wallace fountain is located Bellecroix place. This fountain made in the beginning started from a public garden decorating the Walk of the Chestnut trees, arranged at the beginning of the XXe century under the windows of the Sub-prefect. But this one, aggravated by the croakings of frogs required its demolition. The fountain was then transported court of the Town hall, then Bellecroix place where it is today, marvelously development.

Abroad

Apart from France, one finds Wallace fountains in various countries, like the South Africa, the Brésil, the Canada, the Spain (with Barcelona and Saint-Sebastien), the the United States (with La Nouvelle-Orléans), the Great Britain, (with London, in the garden of Wallace Collection), the Jordan (with Amman), the Mozambique, the Suisse, etc

Montreal

This fountain was offered to the town of Montreal by the town of Paris in 1980 at the time of the Floral festivals.

Notre-Dame Island, park of the Islands, garden of France

Quebec

A fountain with the intersection of the Large-Alley and street Cartier, another on the street Saint-Paul, at the conclusion of the Légaré lane.

At private individuals

Particular rich person and art lovers, just as of the famous artists, bought some for their pleasure. In fact the case of Maurice Chevalier had of them one in its Marnes-the-Vain property of , and of Brigitte Bardot.

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