Raspail Montparnasse Hotel – A journey through time

And if we could turn back the clock and see the places we frequent or have been to, would we not be intrigued? Here are some pictures of your hotel between 1908 and 1932.

The oldest picture we have available indeed dates back to 1908, and is published in the book “Kiki’s Paris” by Billy Kluver and Julie Martin. Opposite the hotel then named the “Haute Loire Hotel” was the café “Chez Baty,” to the right on the photo. It was a favorite spot of artists around 1916. The so-called “Father Baty” (1) there served fine wines, and his café was quite popular. Among his patrons were Picasso, Cocteau, and Apollinaire who referred to his favorite café as a “well maintained grotto”. Trotsky also hung around there often, and left a “tab” that he never paid.

Let’s now move forward in time. This press photograph from the Meurisse agency dates back to 1929 and shows the hotel and the café “La Grande Chaumière” where oysters and snails were served, now replaced by the “Bar à huitres” (Oyster bar).

This photo with an off-balance framing seems trivial, but it deserves attention. On this shot of the facade, also from 1929, we notice that there is a car. This is a Bugatti. Here is what Madame Dumand, from whom we received the photo had to say:

“My husband, who was 5 years old in 1929, at the time of the death of Ms. Amsel, often spoke to me of her and this blue Bugatti. My mother-in-law informed Ms. Amsel’s father of the terrible accident.

At the time, Ms. Amsel was staying at Hotel Raspail, and not at the Loire hotel as is noted in the book. It was in 1924, the year of the Olympic games, that this hotel changed its name.

My husband’s maternal grandparents maintained the hotel from 1910 to 1915. My mother-in-law, having lost her mother in 1915, maintained the hotel alone, at 18 years old, up until 1918 with a chamber maid. There were 61 rooms, no elevator, and no running water. My in-laws were married in 1918 and kept the Raspail until 1962, and we ourselves from 1948 until 1980. “

Mrs. Dumand mentions Lena Amsel, a dancer and actress born in 1898 and died November 2, 1929 in an improvised car race between her blue Bugatti and that of Andre Derain. The car skidded, turned, and caught fire.

Lena Amsel had moved to Paris in 1927. She was then in love with the sculptor André Lasserre, who had stolen her from the arms of Louis Aragon.

Here is Lena Amsel, photographed by Man Ray.

Let’s now enter the hotel. Here are two pictures taken around 1932. The first, from the central part of the reception and the second from the right wing, currently occupied by the living room.n.

This current picture, taken from roughly the same spot, allows us to situate the evolution of the hotel. In 100 years, maybe our descendants will find enjoyment in commenting on it…

(1) Chez Baty :

• Jean-Paul Caracalla – L’âge d’or de Montparnasse – Denoël 1997
  Ecole du Louvre de Quimper – La vie artistique de Montparnasse dans les années 20