Paris, Musee de l'Armee I have visited this museum just these days. Natuarally I was not so much interrested in Napoleon's tomb but more in the exhibition related to the World Wars. I have to day that it was a rater disapointing experience. All was kept in the dark (not only this exhibition) - it was not to the favour of the visitor. Quite often, one is hardly able to read the plates describing the exhibits and the glass for the "vitrins" is reflecting the ligt (mirroring). I had a little bit the impression that the priority of the whole exhibtion was clearly set to A) French Resistance and B) Liberation. There was not much said about the defeat in 1940 and I did not find anything explaining "Vichy France". The Musee de la Ordre de Liberation was closed for the installation of a new exhibition. Should open again on 10 June 2010. If it is "only" in regard of WW2, then I culd definitely not recommend a visit to this musum.
The photos of the exhibitions a rather bad. Because the light in the rooms is bad and flash is not allowed. Even if flash would be allowed - then the reflections would spoil the photo...
Could anybody translate the kirillic inscription on that gun? http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=28788&d=1274960548 This from Alex/Deadb_tch: Visited Berlin on 11th May 1945 - Desyaterik Ivan F. (Dnepropertrovsk), Saulenko L.D The possible circumstances of such graffiti really makes one wonder...
Haven't been there since Easter 1992, was quite a bit of Gulf War stuff there then. I did like the Verdun dioramas.
Agreed, the glass cases which everything seems to be in do not help photography. But I did not mind the French 'slant' on things (I was on holiday in Paris after all ) as it portrayed military history viewed from a non-British angle which for me made a change. If the fall of France and Vichy was not covered I think that is a pity, how a country feels about the past should not affect the displays in a national museum. As you say, Kuno, worth checking what sections are closed for refurb there, always some wing or other not open.
Never heard of it and funnily enough Andrea was only moaing the other day that she wanted to go back to Paris.........We now have a reason to go
That's in Les Invalides, right? I recommend the Air Force Museum at le Bourget. They said French shot down Germans 2-1 but lost so many on the ground...Vive la France!
To comply with an increased British interest in FRANCE (at least here in this Forum), I recalled that I have a not completed Paris-thread.As next: A lot of glory! (I was concentrating on the "North African Plates")
Just spotted this thread and want to know if any one else has been to the Son et Lumiere they used to hold there in the evening ? One used to sit in the huge parade ground, looking towards Napoleon's Tomb and they use to play the sound track of waggons creaking along the central gangway............. most ghostly !
Most ghostly.... Ron; I was there during daytime. And those two chaps were walking up and down the parade-ground:
Going off at a tangent but following on my Les Invalides posting, I am minded of some cracking Son et Lumieres I have been lucky enough to have witnessed over the years. I'm not sure if I can remember all of them but I can certainly remember the best. 1. St. Pauls Cathedral, London. The highlight was to be seated within the main hall while a commentator spoke of the terrors of the blitz, one heard recordings of the noise of falling bombs and the bells of the fire engines and the stained glass windows were illuminated from outside to reproduce the nearby flames 2. The Acropolis, Athens We sat high on one of the hills and one by one the sights of the city were floodlit before our eyes. 3. Chequers, Churchills home. As we sat in a marquee below the house they played recordings of Churchill reading from his famous speeches and the lights went on in his study. 4. David's Citadel, Jerusalem As the story of the area was told the spotlights lit up the different points of interest. 5. Les Invalides See above. One I havn't seen but would dearly love to, is the one they do in Cairo, as shown in one of the James Bond films.
