Cartier

Before reading the following you'd better watch some interesting presentation here ...

Let's quote the Grand Palais' website:

Perhaps because it has been eclipsed by its famous name and the sparkle of its diamonds, too little is known even now about the rich and complex history of this great house of jewellery. Yet Cartier has played a key role in the history of the decorative arts. Its creations - from the classicism of the "jeweller to kings" to the radical inventions of style moderne - offer a fascinating testament to the evolution of taste and social codes. (source)

Eclipsed by its famous name ... Isn't it the fate of a lot of world's brands such as (Louis) Vuitton, (Walt) Disney, (Augustus Halvorsen) Hilton, (Enzo) Ferrari, (Charles and Henry) Rolls-Royce, (Ferdinand) Porsche, among many others?

Once upon a time, there was a small artisan ...

Like most success stories, it begins with a humble origin; in this case, the small workshop in Paris where, in 1847, Louis François Cartier opens his first jewelry shop. Louis, the eldest of his grandchildren, would move to the Rue de la Paix, the heart of the Parisian aristocracy, and from there, he would begin the long and glamorous career that Cartier enjoyed while becoming an icon for jewellery and luxury watchmaking. (source)

1888: Cartier designs its first jeweled timepieces ...

In 1904, the Brazilian pioneer aviator, Alberto Santos-Dumont complained to his friend Louis Cartier of the unreliability and impracticality of using pocket watches while flying. Cartier designed a flat wristwatch with a distinctive square bezel. This watch was liked by not only Santos-Dumont but also many other customers. Thus the "Santos" was born. This was Cartier's first men's wristwatch. (source)

I had just received the special pass for some Parisian national museums and, good heavens! A Cartier exhibition was going to end at the very next day! In general, for large exhibitions I always have a pass, which allows you to go every day if you want without queuing up. I usually make trails at the first visits, and come back several times in order to deepen a particular aspect of the exhibition. For Cartier, last year (Winter 2013-2014), it was anyway impossible, so that I went on the run to the Grand Palais on that very last day, among an incredible crowd!

The audience was really dense -let's say about three to four people each square meter, and I am not exaggerating!- and it was necessary to wait a while before a small space opens in front of the showcases. Another problem was that there was glass everywhere, and a lot of reflections on the windows. Of course, all those valuables had to be protected by robust windows, but that complicated the work of us poor photographers, especially given the very dark atmosphere. And eventually, knowing the rules of museums I came by precaution with a very light equipment, which proved not quite suited to the finest 3d photography.

Anyway, thanks to that amazing exhibition I could really discover the very origin of that 'luxury' brand called 'Cartier', and beautifully celebrated by the late Marilyn Monroe (by far the best performer of the famous song: 'Diamonds'...).