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French quality on show (1933)
The Grand Palais, an ambassador for France
In 1933, the Grand Palais hosted the first Salon de la qualité française. The Nave, facelifted for the occasion in art déco style, showcased the excellence of French know-how.
1933, the first Salon de la qualité française at the Grand Palais. © CNAM/DAF/Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine/Archives d’architectures du XXe siècle
Famed for its gastronomy, art de vivre, and culture, France is also reputed for its luxury goods, and the know-how of highly skilled craftsmen. French excellence, emblematic of the Grand Palais, was represented in 1933 at the first Salon de la qualité française. To mark the occasion, the glass roof was transformed by André Granet, the designer who had masterminded most of the settings for the Car Shows and Air Shows staged in the Grand Palais. The architect came up with a monumental arrangement in Art déco style that completely masked the glass roof. A wide range of crafts were represented, highlighting dressmaking, gold and precious materials, perfume, leather, gastronomy, in a word everything that France does best in the way of luxurious goods.
