I could not
recall the name of the school, but M. Ségaux was in charge. Google searches led
me to L'institution Ségaux, a private school at 23 Rue Jean Martin. I have
given some links below for those who would like to know more, but briefly the
institution had been in the family for several generations back to the 19th
century. It moved to Rue Jean Martin (then known as Rue De L’Avenir) in 1868
and finally closed in 2004. A notable chapter in the school's history is the concealment of a number of Jewish children during WWII. Jacques, who took over in 1958, was Director at the
time of my visit.
The institution features in a number of old postcards. This must be a 19th century view as the address is given as Rue de L’Avenir and there are detail differences from later images.
Compare it
with a view from 2018
Another view
from about the same period
The corner
shop opposite the institution, about the same period. An extra storey was added
later.
The Institution from Rue du Tapis Vert,
1903
And in 2018,
looking towards the current No, 23
1904
About 1905
The school
recreation ground in 1906
Undated,
similar to other early 1900’s images but no crescent name board above the gates
Source gives
date as (1945-1960). Various detail differences from earlier views including
the lintel above the gates with the inscription ‘INSTITUTION SEGAUX’.
Links to four
images of L'institution Ségaux from 2006. I haven’t reproduced them here since
they are accompanied by copyright notices, but the appearance is much the same
as the 1945-1960 image. The accompanying captions includes the text ‘Les édifices les plus importants, l’église et l’institut
Ségaux, devraient disparaître. La première sera rebâtie, et la réutilisation
des terrain du second sont l’objet d’études à l’heure actuelle’. The church, Église Notre-Dame-du-Rosaire des Lilas, will be rebuilt but the institution’s
days are numbered.
Other links.
History of the school
http://www.ajpn.org/sauvetage-Institution-Segaux-707.html
http://www.ajpn.org/sauvetage-Institution-Segaux-707.html
Links to former pupils and group photos 1956-1991
Former pupils' Facebook page
6 comments:
Hi,
I've found my identity card from a school trip in the early 1970's. I stayed at a boarding school. The address is Institution Segaux, 23 Rue Henri Barbusse, 93, Les Lilas.
I remember it was near the Les Lilas metro station and there was a market near with dead sparrows in pickle jars. I remember a small shop nearby as I was collecting the Asterix figures you could buy.
Hope this helps fill in a few more pieces.
Neil
Je m'appelle Michèle Loiseau, fille de Eliane SEGAUX, et petite fille de Maurice SEGAUX, nièce de Jacques SEGAUX et de sa soeur Simone. Je suis très heureuse de lire ces témoignages de mon passé. Ma soeur et moi venions en vacances à l'Institution auprès de notre famille. J'ai maintenant 84 ans et je pense etre la plus agée de cette famille.
I went there twice in April 1965 and April 1966.
First time, about 11 of us were set up in a classroom. I remember there was a blackboard in
the room. Food was served on long benches and we'd wash in something akin to along horse trough. Outside, I remember a playground, one side was slightly sheltered and it had basketball nets fitted. At the end of the playground were separate multi windowed units. The unit to the far right had a tennis table and I remember we struggled to get hold of a tennis ball. The Eiffel Tower top floor was closed but I do remember we could walk up the stairs. I saw the Mona Lisa too. I used to spend a lot of my spare time in a Woolworth store called Prisunic.
Second time the school trip was bigger and we had to stay in a dormitory with other groups. I seem to recall some were German. This time the Eiffel Tower was open up to the top floor and I walked the whole distance.
I need to re-visit my old photographs - all black and white of course.
I went there twice in April 1965 and April 1966.
First time, about 11 of us were set up in a classroom. I remember there was a blackboard in
the room. Food was served on long benches and we'd wash in something akin to a long marble horse trough. Outside, I remember a playground, the left side was slightly sheltered and it had basketball nets fitted. At the end of the playground were multi windowed units. The unit to the far right had a tennis table and I remember we struggled to find a tennis ball. The Eiffel Tower top floor was closed that time but I do remember we could walk up the stairs to the first level. I saw the Mona Lisa that time too. I used to spend a lot of my spare time in a Woolworth type store called Prisunic.
Second time the school trip was bigger and we had to stay in a dormitory with other groups. I seem to recall some were German. This time the Eiffel Tower was open up to the top floor and I walked the whole distance.
I need to re-visit my old photographs - all black and white of course.
First let me thank you Phil for the info about the institution Segaux which I found very interesting. My wife and I went on a coach trip to Paris a few years ago, mainly to see Monet`s house and gardens, and I noticed we passed the end of Rue Henri Barbusse at one point, bringing memories of my 2 school trips in 1961 or 62 and the other in 1965. I wondered then if the building would still be standing and vowed to find out if we went again, but that hasn`t happened.
Whenever the teachers gave info out at school assembly, the name Monsieur Segaux (sago) always raised a bit of a giggle among the pupils.
I don`t remember there being any entrance pillars in front of the building, but it was quite a large building. I remember the entrance hall which had a Coca Cola bottle dispensing machine (1st I`d ever seen - I`ve led a sheltered life!!) which got a lot of use from us all. The dining hall was large, food was very good and our school had a large dormitory to ourselves. We weren`t allowed to consume alcohol when we went out, but older boys being older boys, one night I and some of my mates did just that, and the following morning one of the teachers asked me why I was chasing another boy round the rear yard with a sweeping brush the previous night! I also remember many of us were in the wash room throwing cold water on our faces to `sober up` when a more senior boy proceeded to go round thumping others on the jaw assuring them, including myself, that his method was much better.
Other memories were - a long set of stone steps nearby, leading to a lower street level, at the top of which we were stopped by a group of French boys who asked, in a slightly threatening tone, where we were staying, and said `ok you can go` when we said Institution Segaux, phew! - seeing metal shutters on shop windows at night for the first time, hoping we`d never have them in England as they looked scruffy - seeing plastic packamacks for the first time and having to buy one in a hurry - and watching men playing boules in the parks.
Visits included the Eiffel tower (the top ), Versailles, Notre Dame, and a cruise on the Seine.
The week`s trip cost £15 and we could take £15 spending money. We weren`t well off in those days and £15 was over a week`s wages. My mother said I could go if I saved the £15 spending money myself. Thinking back I still don`t know how she managed to do it.
I stayed at Institution Segaux with a school party back in 1974 - almost fifty years ago to the day!
It was the year ABBA won Eurovision, but we couldn’t watch it on TV because France had been plunged into a state of national mourning by the death of President George Pompidou. All museums and attractions were closed, so it was an ‘interesting’ trip for a bunch of teenage girls!
I remember the school being somewhat austere, every meal (I recall a particularly unpleasant stew!) was accompanied by a pile of lettuce served on a separate plate, breakfast was an apple, a bread roll, and a plastic bowl of milky coffee.
Thankfully all my my subsequent visits to France have been very much more enjoyable!
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