Historical Writer. Born as Auguste-Andre, he entered government service for the phone company. That experience garnered a military position in communication at the start of World War II. He worked at Cherbourg on telegraph service and then with the army at Alsace. After the war he remained in the service, served for two years as a teacher at the cavalry school. He moved later to the Ministry of War and spent time in Lebanon. Now a colonel, he was re-mobilized at the start of World War II. Captured as a prisoner of war, he was shipped to Silesia but released in 1941 and retired from the army. He became interested in the history of Paris after moving there and started to give tours of older sections of Paris. He decided to change his name to his mother's maiden name to ensure some anonymity. Beginning in 1951, he began to publish a series of histories of old Paris. These include "Le Paris du Moyen Age et de la Renaissance; Les Faubourgs; Les Village de Paris." These were following in 1956 by three volumes in of the Connaissance du Vieux Paris. He also oversaw the publication of three books by George Poisson. His "Historical Dictionary of the Streets of Paris" is regularly reissued and updated. This was first published in 1960 in two volumes, it included over 2,300 illustrations and over 5000 streets. This directory received the Grand Prix Histoire from the Academie Francaise.
Historical Writer. Born as Auguste-Andre, he entered government service for the phone company. That experience garnered a military position in communication at the start of World War II. He worked at Cherbourg on telegraph service and then with the army at Alsace. After the war he remained in the service, served for two years as a teacher at the cavalry school. He moved later to the Ministry of War and spent time in Lebanon. Now a colonel, he was re-mobilized at the start of World War II. Captured as a prisoner of war, he was shipped to Silesia but released in 1941 and retired from the army. He became interested in the history of Paris after moving there and started to give tours of older sections of Paris. He decided to change his name to his mother's maiden name to ensure some anonymity. Beginning in 1951, he began to publish a series of histories of old Paris. These include "Le Paris du Moyen Age et de la Renaissance; Les Faubourgs; Les Village de Paris." These were following in 1956 by three volumes in of the Connaissance du Vieux Paris. He also oversaw the publication of three books by George Poisson. His "Historical Dictionary of the Streets of Paris" is regularly reissued and updated. This was first published in 1960 in two volumes, it included over 2,300 illustrations and over 5000 streets. This directory received the Grand Prix Histoire from the Academie Francaise.
Bio by: Winter Birds PA
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