Paris métro signposts -- "Val d'Osne" at Saint-Paul Station (Line 1)

The next time you're rushing out of the Saint-Paul métro station (Line 1) on your way to the Place des Vosges in the Marais, take a moment to admire the rare Val d'Osne signpost. The luminous opaline globe was created in the 1920s to better illuminate the metro entrance. An ornate cast-iron frieze frames the word MÉTRO. The font used for the abbreviated form of Métropolitain is remarkably different from Hector Guimard's Art Nouveau signage of the early 1900s. 

Named after the iron foundry that manufactured them, the Val d'Osne totems were followed by the Art Deco Dervaux signposts in 1924. Those totems, created by architect Adolphe Dervaux, illustrate the trend away from elaborate decorative embellishments.   

With more than 300 metro stations in Paris, spotting a Val d'Osne signpost is like finding a needle in a haystack. During the next couple of months, I'm going to see how many I can locate. If you come across one, please let me know!

While searching for additional information for this post, I came across the following:

Interesting tidbit via France.fr: The Paris metro is the only one to have offered a choice of two classes on its network. The "first class" service existed until 1982. After this date, the principal of first class was restricted to rush hours (from 9 am to 5 pm) and people with disabilities and pregnant women were allowed access to first class at all times. A single class system has been in place since 1991.

Click here to listen to a fascinating NPR podcast with Mark Ovenden, co-author of the book Paris Underground.

Quotation: The Metro furnishes the best opportunity for the foreigner to imagine that he has understood, quickly and correctly, the essence of Paris. - Franz Kafka