28 May 2010

Castaing Outtakes - Take #1


There have been a few whisperings as to whether The World of Madeleine Castaing will have any unfamiliar material in it - after all her country house Lรจves has been profiled dozens of times. I believe there will be more than a few surprising moments in the book, but the verdict, of course, will rest with you. Here is the first of a few or several posts with photos that weren't able to make it into the book.

One of the most important and first client relationships Madeleine had was with Mme Alec Weisweiller. While her husband was off watching his prized stable of horses win blue ribbons, Francine assumed the mantle of patroness, with Jean Cocteau as her prime benefactor.

Madeleine collaborated with Francine on all her residences, including the Paris hotel particulier pictured here. Francine's husband Alec preferred the established elegance of the eighteenth century to Madeleine's Balzacian romance, so the society decorator brothers Barroux were called in to fit out the main reception rooms, including the dining room and salon.

But elsewhere, Francine and Madeleine went wild. The top photo shows Francine posing in her red silk velvet bedroom. Don't miss the "borne" off to her left.

courtesy Maison et Jardin, February 1956

Here is the fumoir where guests repaired after dinner or stopped off on their way to the double-height bar below. The mouflon-head snuff box on the tray table terrified Francine's young daughter Carole.

Who says Facebook is a time sink? I found this photo, credited to Mark Shaw, c. 1960, on Fashion Images of the 20th Century - a great place to while away an hour or two.

5 comments:

Dominique Browning said...

HOW FABULOUS!!! The fumoir! That carpet! The purple dress! The white gloves! I want to examine every single item in the picture--have you got a coral-handled magnifying glass? Howard Slatkin will go out of his mind over this book. If these are the out takes, I can only imagine how plumply rich the book will be. Never mind those whisperings. Trust me, there are thousands of people who know nothing of MC, and who will be introduced to her full glory by your book, which should become the gift of the season (trust it is coming out in September, in time for the holidays?) d

home before dark said...

Thanks for my red fix of the day! Is your book tour wardrobe made of MC fabric at the dressmakers yet?

Regina Joi said...

How wonderful too see the gilt brass bed...I have the same but with the other side ornamented as well and a different shaped canopy, all in vintage Fortuny...a pair actually.

It is amazing to see this bed, the finial are divine as well as the castings...and belonging too such a polished personage.

Too bad all is now gone, but loved to see MC's apt in "Le Divorce".

P.Gaye Tapp at Little Augury said...

I can not believe these will not be in your book and have no doubt it will be full of just baked tasty Castaings. I love the first photograph,I could certainly accept that as my own, just enough of Proust's madeleine crumbs in that canopy bed. There must be an out of this world photograph of this room in the book-You would never deprive us. You are a minx- make that ocelot- tempting us to think these are the leftovers. & Yes, wardrobe, time to think about that too. I am so glad you have returned. pgt

Emily Evans Eerdmans said...

Regina Joi - I believe it's the Proprietor by Merchant Ivory who used Madeleine's apartment...

Home - hmmm, perhaps you can help me make my case with Clarence House for my new Castaing wardrobe....

Gaye, alas there will be no photo of the bedroom in the book - we had printing issues with it....