Thursday, February 9, 2012

Un landau


Un landau - a pram - a baby carriage - une voiture d'enfant

With the challenges of the Métro, busses, and steps in Paris, how do you manage to stroll your bébé in this fine carriage?  Holly has a very old one and I can vouch that they are as heavy as a car and bigger than some I have seen in Paris! 

This one sits in the foyer of a building and is only one step up from the street.  I have watched young mothers with two little children, three bags of groceries, and a portable stroller struggle in the Métro so I am assuming that this large model would only be for a jaunt to a nearby park or garden. 

I posted one here in which the grandmère strolled the little Parisienne princess in Jardins du Ranelagh (near Musée Marmottan).  The petite baby must have lived in the neighborhood.



Un landau
75001, Paris


25 comments:

Sylvia K said...

I love this one! I always found ones like these so much better for the very new babies. Later the strollers seem to work better! Been so long since mine were the age for either one!! Ah, but the memories! Hope your week is going well, Genie!!

Hugs
Sylvia

Randy said...

Nice b&w.

French Girl in Seattle said...

I am guessing you are right, Genie. This one is just used to go to the nearby park or the boulangerie in the morning... ;-) Can you imagine living in Montmartre and having to push this thing around?! -- Oh, la, la! Veronique (French Girl in Seattle)

Louis la Vache said...

hee hee...
It does appear to be bigger than a Smart ForTwo!

Joe said...

A glimpse into another era. Love the suspension.

Cezar and Léia said...

And very charming!
Wonderful picture!
Léia

Pat said...

So French.... I remember seeing these in parks...babies with mothers or girls 'au pair'.

Andy said...

This would be a rare sight in Canada. Everyone now of days use the fold up strollers.

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

I have wondered the same thing myself.
Sam

Virginia said...

I have the same shot of course as it was in our apt lobby
! :)
More than once I've helped a mom struggling to hold a heavy apt door open and get the baby stroller up over the threshold. As for the Metro, I can't imagine doing that on a daily basis.
V

winterludes said...

yes, it's for the park, just perfect into the luxembourg. suspensions are too soft for the rollerblades, and it's really boring for a long walk. à bientôt, w.

Malyss said...

So old fashion and fabulous!those landaux were very comfortable for babies, but today, with modern life, they're too big, too high, too heavy..I had one for my doll, when I was a kid! :o)

PerthDailyPhoto said...

Looks are very deceiving, it doesn't look like it would be all that heavy Genie, I'd like to have it just to sit there looking so fabulous and French haha!

Anonymous said...

I love this buggy! I remember having one with the larger rubber baby buggy wheels for my son. Tooo cute!

Janey and Co. said...

When I lived in Europe..I only had one of those flimsey umbrella strollers...not good at all on cobble stones. I would have loved having this!

Starman said...

I have seen women carrying the strollers up and down the métro steps many times and have helped a few when I could. The buses of course, have a platform that rolls out, but that's usually only used for people in wheelchairs. The strollers are rather easily just lifted into the bus.

jennyfreckles said...

The Rolls Royce of prams! So elegant but rather impractical for modern life. So far, my granddaughter gets carried everywhere in a sling but she will soon be too heavy for that.

biebkriebels said...

I mentioned in your previous post, it is the Rolls Royce of prams and I just can say the same.

Shirley said...

My daughter says this is the carriage of her choice when she gets married and has children!

Alexa said...

This pram is gorgeous! I wouldn't try to deal with something like this while riding the metro, though. That's strictly for umbrella strollers and, even better, strapping baby on—either front or back (I've tried both options—one time both at once: oof!)

Genie -- Paris and Beyond said...

They look so elegant in the Paris gardens with maman dressed so finely... More often one sees the more portable strollers for maneuvering the streets and the transportation of Paris.

Alexa, I think you are superwoman! Joe, I am glad you noticed the suspension on this machine! Many of you mentioned the "Rolls Royce of prams" and I would definitely agree!

Bises,
Genie

TheChieftess said...

Love this shot!!! Love the pram!!! Reminiscent of days gone by!!! Perfect for strolling down the Champs Elysees!!!

Rob Siemann said...

I traveled a lot in the very same landau, some years ago! My parents still have it!

Photos by Stan said...

Great shot, even down to the floor details! The lighting is mystifying -- here is this bright wall in the background, yet, the pram in the foreground seems to be unaffected by the light source. Interesting!! Also, I like the effect of the vignetting-- Your work makes me long for a trip to Paris--

James said...

A classic shot!