Wallace Fountain

     WallaceFountain           

This is a so-called Wallace fountain, a fountain that dispenses free drinking water. These fountains are scatteredirregularly throughout the city.

The Wallace fountains were a gift from British philanthropist Sir Richard Wallace, who donated 50 ofthem to the City of Paris in 1872 (to which the city later has subsequently added another 36 fountains of identicaldesign). He commissioned their design from French sculptor Charles-AugusteLebourg; the four “goddesses” suspending the roof of the fountain represent Simplicity, Temperance,Charity, and Goodness. Normally a thin stream of drinking water flows down the center of the fountain, betweenthe statues; this fountain was not running, however. The fountains are turned off during cold weather (from November to February).

Anyway, these fountains are handy for filling your drinking bottle on warm summer days. Theyoriginally had little cups on a chain attached to them, when they were first installed, but modernhygiene requirements are more stringent than those of the 19th century, and so thecups have been removed. Because of the awkwardness of getting water from these fountains if you have nocup or bottle, additional fountains of a new, modern design (looking like a melted candlestick, in my opinion)that work like American-style drinking fountains (no cups required) are being installed in the city.

Wallace fountains arenot uncommon sights in the city. The fountain pictured above is near the top of theavenue des Champs-Élysées, in therue Vernet.

Photographed on July 12, 1999.