[An illustration of a ship, symbolizing the symbol of Paris]

Histoire de Paris

Parc de Montsouris
Etandu sur 16 hectares et dessiné par Allphand, le "jardinier d’Haussmann", le parc, commencé en 1867 et terminé en 1878, a couté la somme considérable pour l’époque de 1750.000 francs: il avait fallu combler quatre carrières pour stabiliser le terrain. Le lac artificiel de près d’un hectare se vida à la surprise générale le jour de l’inauguration, par suite d’une erreur de construction, et son auteur, dit-on, se suicida. Au sud du parc, une stéle quadrangulaire de quatre mètres de haut, percée d’un oculus, n’est autre que la Mire du Sud, édiflée en 1806, qui répondait à celle de Montmartre pour déterminer, à partir de l’Observatoire, le méridien de Paris.

[Illustration of the Park]

One of the series of signs describing historical places in Paris. The signs were placed starting in 1992 and are also called sucettes Starck (Starck’s Lollipops) after Philippe Starck who designed them.

The sign depicts Montsouris Park, one of the largest gardens in Paris, which was officially inaugurated in 1875. The park also houses the "Grand Équatorial" building which was used to determine the meridian line of Paris.

The garden was photographed on the same day by the same photographer, in the first photo you can see the "Grand Équatorial" building
Click for a larger image Click for a larger image

The illustration of the park in the center of the sign is shown here at magnification Click for a larger image

Elsewhere in the park there is a sign from the "Gardens in Paris" series Click for sign's details

Translation of the text on the sign:

[An illustration of a ship, symbolizing the symbol of Paris]

History of Paris

Parc Montsouris
Spread over 16 hectares and designed by Allphand, the "Haussmann gardener", the park, begun in 1867 and completed in 1878, cost the considerable sum for the time of 1,750,000 francs: four quarries had to be filled in to stabilize the ground. The artificial lake of almost one hectare emptied to everyone’s surprise on the day of the inauguration, following a construction error, and its author, it is said, committed suicide. To the south of the park, a quadrangular stele four meters high, pierced by an oculus, is none other than the Mire du Sud, built in 1806, which responded to that of Montmartre to determine, from the Observatory, the Paris meridian.

[Illustration of the Park]