A Shopping Guide to Paris

Therese & Louise Bonney.

Robert M. McBride & Company. New York. 1929. First edition. Hardback, octavo; black buckrum-bound hardback with yellow title to spine and front board, patterned endpapers; errata slip loosely inserted. xvi, 281 pages. Frontispiece and 14 hors-texte plates with photographs by Therese Bonney. English. 195 x 135mm. 0.5kg. . Very good, no dust jacket; some general shelf wear to boards; browning to pages and edges with some spotting to text and plates, final 2 gatherings unopened.

A scarce copy of Thérèse and Louise Bonney's influential guidebook for the American in Paris. The two American sisters resided in the French capital in the 1920s and early 30s. The pair were interested in promoting cultural relations between the USA and France and this book was created for the 350,000 Americans who visited Paris during this period. The guidebook does not only act as a directory of shops, it also guides the visitor in the procedures and etiquette of Parisian retail. Chapters cover fashion, accessories, department stores, antiques, decorators, 'Two Hours for Lunch', beauty treatments and 'Call the Doctor'. The Bonney's had great taste and Madame Vionnet, Jean Patou, Lanvin, Paul Poiret, Pierre Chareau, Ruhlmann, Jean-Michel Frank, Mauboussin and Marchak all receive a mention. Therese went on to become an important photo-journalist and her own photographs complement the text. The book was published just in time, a few months later the Great Depression hit.