In 2010, a locked apartment was discovered in Paris which contained perfectly preserved possessions from before World War II, including artwork worth millions of Euros and love letters from Prime Ministers. It’s a story so perfect we would have been proud to write it, but it’s true!
Madame de Florian fled her apartment some time around 1940 to escape the invading German troops during the Second World War. Although she never returned, she continued to pay rent on the apartment until her death, aged 91, in 2010, whilst none of her family knew anything about it.
When the family discovered Madame de Florian’s secret they hired an auctioneer to visit the apartment and sell anything of value – little did they know there was millions of Euros of perfectly preserved artwork, furniture and even classic Disney toys!
Historians discovered that the apartment had once belonged to Madam de Florian’s grandmother, Marthe de Florian, a well-known actress and Parisian socialite. Amongst the possessions were ribbon-bound stacks of love letters from wealthy and famous figures such as Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau and painter Giovanni Boldini. A beautiful portrait of Marthe, painted by Boldini, sold at auction for €2.1 million (over £1.5 million)!
Other incredible possessions in the apartment included a vintage dressing table which still held an enviable collection of make up and perfume, stacks of crystal glassware and expensive dishes, silk, ornaments, and gorgeous 19th century furniture.
It’s a story that sounds too mysterious and romantic to be true – just who were Madame de Florian and her beautiful grandmother, Marthe? How did no-one notice the apartment, in the 9th arondissement of Paris, which went untouched for 70 years? Author, Michelle Gable has written a novel, A Paris Apartment, based on Marthe de Florian’s fictional diaries about her intriguing lifestyle of wealth, beauty and scandal.