After the Franco-Prussian war of 1870, the rag-and-bone who had been ousted from Paris built the first merchant villages in Saint-Ouen. These wandering scavengers were nicknamed “bone pickers”, “rag grabbers” and “street grubbers”, and also, more poetically, “moonlight sinners” as they would roam through towns at nigh looking for discarded items or rubbish that they went on to sell at markets.
The year 1885 saw the official opening of the Marché aux Puces flea market. The town of Saint-Ouen rallied together to cleanse and secure the area. The merchants wishing to sell their wares at Les Puces had to pay for the right to do business there. The press published several complimentary reports about the market between 1905 and 1914. More and more Parisians would come here on Sundays, in keeping with their tradition of walking outside the city walls, this continues to the present day.
Last year, in January 2020 when were lucky enough to be in Paris! we went to visit the Saint Ouen Flea Market and selected a beautiful series fo prints for you.
They are frames that make us travel in time and space. They will look great in our homes mixed with contemporary arts, photos, and prints…
Shop the prints here.
(Images courtesy of Google Images)