Little Guide of Paris and Battle Fields of France

The postwar delights of Paris, presented by one of the city’s grandest department stores.

This ‘Little Guide to Paris and the Battle Fields of France’ was printed in Paris by Draeger around 1920. The pocket-sized volume, complete with a fold-out map, was distributed by the Grand Magasins du Printemps, a historic and luxurious Parisian department store that first opened in 1865.

With the ink dry on the Treaty of Versailles and the dust finally settled from World War I, the cabarets, cafes, and clubs of Paris were open for business. While several are listed in the business directory and shown in the black & white photographs, the bulk of the guide is devoted to tourism of recent battlefields. Single-page maps covering contiguous areas across France are accompanied by lists of cities and battlegrounds to visit. A double-page centerfold serves as an index and overall reference.

The booklet also includes a fold-out ‘Visitors Practical Map of Paris, drawn by F. Borremans and edited by Alphonse Taride. Dozens of monuments, landmarks, and historic sites are illustrated in profile and labeled throughout the image. Grand Magasins du Printemps, shown upper left, is pinpointed with a large blue arrow. The lines of the Paris Metro are emphasized (then divided between two operating companies), though only a handful of stops are marked as ‘under construction.’