Lignières: Then and Now
|
|
Lignières: Then and Now |
|
Click image for contemporary view.
The historical photograph is courtesy of M. Louis Chiffelle of Lignières, who kindly contributed images of his post card collection to the archives of the Fondation de l'Hôtel de Commune de Lignières.
|
by John Walker May, 2007 |
|
Proceeding along the Rue du Montilier, we encounter this small building (Rue du Montilier 6, RACN 010-6456-00238), which was constructed in 1898 for Albert Petitpierre, with a grocery store on the ground floor and residence upstairs. The Café du Commerce (Rue du Montilier 2, RACN 010-6456-00052) can be seen to the right; we'll discuss it in more detail as we look back from further up the street.
The inscription on the back of the card identifies the woman as Mlle. Lise Leuba, manager of the Petitpierre shop during World War I, so presumably the photo dates from the 1914–1918 period. Note that the signage on the exterior of the building has been toned down quite a bit since the earlier photo in which it appears. The RACN describes this building as «coquet et soigné»—“charming and neat”, and it has kept that appearance admirably over the more than a century it has stood here.