Ephemeris of September 28 in Paris: Fire at Le Printemps department store

On the morning of September 28, 1921, forty years after the first blaze, the Le Printemps department store was struck by a fire that ravaged the interior of the second building under construction.

On Wednesday, September 28, 1921, a fire breaks out in the second building of the Grands Magasins du Printemps, on Boulevard Haussmann, in the 9th arrondissement of the capital. Quickly, the flames ravage parts of the interior and the roof ultimately collapses despite the intervention of numerous firefighters. FortunateIy, the magnificent façade endures the disaster.

Built by Jules Jaluzot, a former employee of the Bon Marché Rive Gauche, the first Printemps department store opened its doors in 1865 at the corner of Rue du Havre, Rue de Provence, Rue de Caumartin, and Boulevard Haussmann. But the story of this initial building was short-lived, as a devastating fire destroyed it entirely in 1881. It was then decided to have the grand magasin rebuilt by architect Paul Sédille, with a luxury and a splendor never before seen in the capital.

Outside, the facade on the Rue du Havre is preserved, with grandiose statues representing the four seasons, by the sculptor Henri Chapu, installed above each arcade at the entrance of the site, while four imposing golden rotundas are built at each corner of the building, bearing the name of the grand department store and adorned with floral motifs.

Inside, beneath the stone shell, architect Paul Sédille, inspired by the constructions of Gustave Eiffel, envisions a vast iron skeleton and a majestic glass skylight, which will later disappear during the store's elevation, to bathe the open galleries in natural light.

At the height of modernity, driven by the trauma of the first fire, Le Printemps, described by Zola as the “cathedral of commerce”, became the first Parisian department store to be fully illuminated by electricity as early as 1883, with an electric power plant installed just below to provide the energy it needed.

Between 1907 and 1910, as Le Printemps was gaining popularity and becoming a landmark for Parisians out for a good time, a second building rose right beside the first, designed by architect René Binet. Reasserting the architectural language and motifs of the original Printemps, the architect added even more splendor in an Art Nouveau style, decorating the rotundas with statues by sculptor Anatole Guillot and creating, to light the central octagonal hall, a double coupole.

In 1912, the second store was expanded on Charras Street by architect Georges Wybo, who created a second entrance hall. But the continued growth of these department stores was dealt a blow when a bullet struck the building’s wing on the morning of September 28, 1921.

It's still early this morning, September 28, 1921, when a rumor spreads like wildfire through the capital: the Nouveaux Magasins du Printemps are said to be engulfed in flames. Quickly, the blaze ravages the interior of the department store, despite the arrival of numerous pompiers sent from all Parisian stations. Relentlessly, the firefighters take turns trying to stem the incendie that has broken out in the annex under construction.

But nothing helps: the damage is extensive, and the building designed by Binet and Wybo is partly ravaged by the flames. The roof collapses in the central part of the structure, pulling down the stairs and sections of the floors between the levels and on the ground floor. The wax mannequins melt on their display stands.

Fortunately, not all of the 3,000-strong staff have yet arrived on site as the fire breaks out; only a handful of store clerks and deliverymen are present, along with about thirty night watchmen and civil firefighters on duty. The façade, miraculously, resists the terrible event before the half-dazed, half-anxious eyes of onlookers gathered on the boulevard and kept from getting too close to the blaze by the Civil Guard.

The day after, the Printemps fire dominates the front pages. "The blaze reached its fiercest intensity around eleven in the morning. It was only around four in the afternoon that the full extent of the devastation could be seen. All that remained were the four walls, with, in the middle, a staircase whose base had collapsed but whose landings had held and hung suspended in midair." reported Le Petit Parisien.

But at the time, there were no lay-offs or inquiries, and on September 29, 1921, Printemps reopened its doors to the public, the management stating in a press release: "The merchandise reserves, workshops, and services are fully intact and allow the shelves to be replenished; sales will resume on Friday, September 30. The shipping departments in Paris and the provinces will continue to operate and ensure shipments as of the evening of the 29th."

"In under 48 hours, the store departments were reorganized and regrouped: two floors of the former shops, which had housed various services, will be devoted to retail, along with part of the annex on Rue de Provence. Delivery and dispatch services were not interrupted. The merchandise stock remains intact and enables the fulfillment of all orders." note the daily papers of the time.

Subsequently, Printemps will be rebuilt, on the same plan, between 1921 and 1924 by Georges Wybo. A large rotunda with twin columns is erected at the corner of Boulevard Haussmann and Rue Charras, while inside, the dome designed by René Binet and its polychrome and floral stained glass, the work of the master glazier Brière, miraculously withstood the flames and continues to inspire admiration from Parisians and passing visitors to this day!

For further reading:

Le Printemps Haussmann in Paris: an iconic department store
Women's and men's fashion, beauty, luxury, jewelry, leather goods, shoes, home decor, restaurants and personalized services - everything is available at Printemps Haussmann for a typically Parisian shopping experience! [Read more]

What to do in the Opéra and Grands Boulevards district: Outing ideas and great places to check out
Looking for the best spots near the Opéra Garnier and the Grands Boulevards, between Paris’s 2nd and 9th arrondissements? You’ve come to the right place. Restaurants, museums, covered passages—we’ve got it all for you. [Read more]