When I came across this photo, it immediately reminded me of my one and only visit to the city in 2000. With a 2 1/2 year old boy in tow as we made our way from London, to Paris, to Rome and then to visit family in Sicily, parks were a big part of our travels. We walked through the grounds of the Louvre, over to the Museé D’Orsay and then, for a bit of a respite, off to the Tuileries Garden. They were so welcoming on what was a fairly warm day and it was wonderful to order some lunch from a park cafe, put up our feet and take in the gardens.

Like this section of park near the Eiffel Tower, there were dramatically formal sections, but there were sections that felt so comfortable you might never want to leave. To this day, any scenes of this area of Paris transport me immediately back to that day.

I think is something that any garden photo can do. It can transport us to a place in space and time, even if we have never been there before. I love to travel to other people’s gardens through their photos and video and I share my garden for the exact same reason — to invite you inside at least in some small way.

Paris Exposition: gardens, Paris, France, 1900

Paris Exposition: gardens, Paris, France, 1900

Paris Exposition: gardens, Paris, France, 1900. Gardens located near the Eiffel Tower. A section of the Eiffel Tower is visible. Brooklyn Museum Archives, Goodyear Archival Collection (S03_06_01_015 image 9906).


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