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Les Floralies (1937)
An extraordinary garden
Organised for the 1937 World Fair, the exhibition entitled les Floralies transformed the Nave into an immense greenhouse. The finest specimens of French and foreign horticulture were exhibited in a stunningly colourful and richly fragrant presentation.
Night-time view of the 1937 International Exhibition in Paris. Les Floralies © Pierre Jahan / Roger-Viollet
The month of June 1937 opened with the Floralies internationales exhibition, bringing greenery to the Grand Palais. During the show the glass roof acted as a giant hothouse for the star specimens of French flora. Each region with horticultural specialities sent examples of its finest species, perfect blooms that only the greatest care could produce. Hydrangeas, carnations, orchids and roses from the Loire Valley, the Paris region, and the Riviera vied for awards. The gardeners embellished an area of over twelve thousand square feet, and the aisles of the Grand Palais were redolent with heady fragrances.
The Figaro, manifestly enchanted by such a dream garden, gushed with undisguised chauvinism: "So many wondrous blooms can only serve to remind us that the art of the garden is essentially French. Not only in the borders of the Grand Siècle, the colourful perspectives of the gardens of Versailles, the Invalides, or other princely domains, this science has left it imprint on all eras. The love of fine blooms, trees, and the desire to decoratively organise the wonders of horticulture are in no way in decline, as this event proves."
The Figaro, manifestly enchanted by such a dream garden, gushed with undisguised chauvinism: "So many wondrous blooms can only serve to remind us that the art of the garden is essentially French. Not only in the borders of the Grand Siècle, the colourful perspectives of the gardens of Versailles, the Invalides, or other princely domains, this science has left it imprint on all eras. The love of fine blooms, trees, and the desire to decoratively organise the wonders of horticulture are in no way in decline, as this event proves."
