Category: Paris

A Spectacular View

Julia struggled through her first icy winter in Paris. She was thrilled to see the first signs of spring, writing to the LeBruns on March 1, 1897: “The weather is beginning to brighten, these days. . .

Cathedral Bells

Julia occasionally allowed herself a day of sightseeing, amidst her strenuous preparations for the École des Beaux-Arts’ entrance exams. On Easter Sunday in 1897, she showed a young female visitor. . .

Spending Thanksgiving in Paris

Julia struggled with homesickness while in Paris—especially during holidays. Writing to her friend Beatrice Fox on December 11, 1896, Julia reported that her first solitary. . .

The Duomo at Como

Julia and Avery arrived in Como, Italy late one evening in August 1899. They went straight to the Duomo—the city’s main cathedral (also known as the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta). . .

Arriving in Italy

For their summer vacation in August 1899, Julia and Avery eventually decided to take the train through Switzerland and Northern Italy. It had not been. . .

Watching Famous Actresses

During her first two years in Paris (1896-98), Julia occasionally attended plays with her friends. On 30 May 1898, she wrote to Pierre and Lucy LeBrun. . .

A Glimpse of Belle-Époque Paris

Julia attended the play Paméla in the spring of 1898, when it opened at the Théâtre du Vaudeville, shown here in an 1889. . .

A Walled Medieval City

In the summer of 1898, Julia and Sara Whitney (a friend from Oakland who was Julia’s roommate that year), traveled by train to Provins, sixty miles. . .

The Convent of Cordelières

When Julia and her roommate, Sara Whitney, visited Provins in 1898, they had trouble finding accommodations. They decided to try the city’s convent. . .

A Booming Market Town

Provins was one of six towns where the ruling Counts of Champagne held their annual cycle of trade markets in the 12th and 13th centuries.  Known. . .