By Théo Zuili
Published on
–
–
–
In a century, the city of Lyon has been transformed. And old postcards are a very rich photographic testimony of the 1900stheir golden age.
Most of them, disseminated in the online collaborative project Khartoum and piloted by the Artisans du Patrimoine, corresponds to the period 1900/1930. News Lyon has concocted a journey through time for you through a curation of these images. Follow the leader.
A 100-year journey back from Croix-Rousse to Perrache
Notice that some things have changed a lot, some have not. Let’s start from Croix-Rousse to go down the peninsula to Perrache.
Did you know that the Gros Caillou has changed places?
The fountain in the Place des Terreaux has also moved. The Town Hall is identical. Not a kebab in these photos, while one of the best in France today is Lyonnais.
The pigeons are still there.
Let’s continue down the Presqu’île heading towards Bellecour via Place des Cordeliers.
Let’s go down the rue de la République. We can see the famous Fnac building, belonging at the time to the newspaper Le Figaro. The Place de la République has swapped its statue for a fountain.
Place Bellecour, full of passers-by dressed in 20th century fashion, has simply changed the forecourt of its statue. There is no underground parking.
Did you know that before the McDonald’s on Place Ampère there were undertakers? Evidence to support.
It is not the only statue to have changed location: that of the Republic, place Carnot, has moved a few meters while where there was a tree-lined boulevard stands the Perrache station, enlarged.
And finally, the confluence. No museum in sight.
What has changed in Old Lyon
Ah, Vieux-Lyon, its traffic jams and its tourists. Has it aged well compared to the beginning of the 20th century? Let’s go back to Ainay and take the Saint-Georges footbridge.
We pass in front of Guignol’s house and head towards the Saint-Jean cathedral, where an event marked the postcards: on the night of November 12 to 13, 1930, a section of the hill of Fourvière collapsed.
Let’s go through the Montée du Change and take the Montée Saint-Barthélémy, to climb to the heights.
This is Fourvière and its captivating view of a city without a tower.
What was there in place of these towers absent here?
Let’s go from the right bank of the Saône to the left bank of the Rhône. There, we find a breathtaking view of the peninsula and its beaches.
To the north, the Tête d’Or park is very popular. Do you know where it got its name from?
We skate on the lake. Lyon has experienced many very cold winters in its history. Undoubtedly complicated for animals in captivity, more accustomed to hot temperatures.
Let’s leave the park and head towards La Part-Dieu.
We arrive at the Part-Dieu. There are no towers or office skyscrapers here. No Crayon, no To-Lyon construction site. Only there is a military barracks.
So how did we go from a military barracks to a shopping center and buildings? The answer is surprising: everything is linked to the first bishop of Paris Saint-Denis, to bugnes, to the Hospices Civils de Lyon, to the uncle of Napoleon I and to a party like no other…
Short, let’s continue to finish our journey through time on avenue Berthelot.
Passing by the Place du Pont and the Guillotière.
Perhaps we can see the terrifying crocodile from the Guillotière bridge?
No pedestrian crossing or urinal in sight.
The road ends here. Corn Khartoum is a bottomless pit of these precious postcards. Everyone can participate in the collective effort to collect these windows to the past, or simply take the time to open them.
It is also possible to geolocate to find those near you, or to follow the Twitter account @LyonAutrefoiswho shared all these images.
Was this article helpful to you? Note that you can follow Actu Lyon in the My Actu space. In one click, after registration, you will find all the news of your favorite cities and brands.
–