Research Team Discovers A 70-year-old Hidden Secret Inside An Abandoned Apartment In Paris

 It all started ordinarily but ended on the most unexpected note! An inexplicably quiet woman in her 90s died in 2010 leaving behind her house and lots of head-spinning mysteries. The old lady had kept lots of secrets from the world and when her soul departed from her body, her secrets too scattered away like many pieces of paper. Her secrets began crawling out bit by bit and all of them had the potential of surprising the world. One of them was that the woman had one more apartment in Paris that she never mentioned about in her entire lifetime. What was so different about that apartment? A team of experts was formed to evaluate the assets of that apartment but when they opened the door of the ling hidden house, they felt as if they had entered a different world. The apartment was full of highly valuable items. But that was not what astounded the experts most. Among all these items there was one thing that made them jump out of their skin. The experts had never seen something like this………

The Key To A Locked Secret

Mrs. De Florian a frail, old lady said her final goodbye to the world in June 2010 in the countryside of the south of France. The woman, when was alive remained a mystery to her surrounding as she never talked much to the people. The 91-year-old lady had very few friends. Just like her life the death of the woman too fell into obscurity. But as they say that the quietest people have the loudest mind………  

Coming To The Light

Well, her death brought a lesser known and surprising fact about her to the light. The woman had one more apartment in Paris. Unsurprisingly, not many people knew about this property of her. The woman had never been heard of mentioning her Paris based apartment to anyone. She kept her apartment as a secret for 70 years and now as she was gone, her apartment secret remained unguarded. A team of professionals was formed to check that mysterious apartment.           

Team With Another Motive

The team was going to evaluate all the assets in her apartment in Paris as the woman had no one after her. However, the team had no idea that they were going to discover something astounding during the process of regular evaluation. The apartment was far from ordinary and this appraisal was going to strip many professionals off their sleep. What was extraordinary about this apartment. Well, see it for yourself…      

Entering The Time Capsule

Auctioneer Olivier Choppin-Janvry was chosen to lead the team. The team had to visit her apartment and evaluate the belongings. What struck them first was that the apartment was situated in a very posh area that centered the Paris city. The team was equipped with all the instruments needed to process the evaluation. They got another surprise when they unlocked the long-closed door. It felt as if they had entered another world.  

Deeper Into The House

Choppin-Janvry wondered if it was only him who was surprised by the possession of the apartment or the other member too had the same feeling. One could easily tell by throwing a single glance at the apartment that it had not been used for years. Dust had made a home in it. there was a  thick layer of dust on everything.  Choppin-Janvry describes, “There was a smell of old dust.” He further stated that he felt like as if he had “stumbled into the castle of sleeping beauty.” The apartment was nothing short of a treasure and among all the possession there was one that stood apart from all of them. The experts could not believe it when they laid their eyes on that thing for the first time. The old woman had imprisoned time behind those closed doors.       

Time At A Standstill

They kickstarted the process of evaluation. Every asset they evaluated was only adding to their bewilderment. The experts began to fee as if they had entered another world through the gates of the apartment. Many of the possessions dated back to Paris’s renowned cultural renaissance, Belle Époque or Beautiful Era. Experts had evaluated many house and apartments before but none of them had amazed them to this extent. Interestingly, it was just the beginning. The real twist was yet to come. 

What Is This Place?

The dust-filled apartment had come alive in the mind of the experts. The apartment was luxurious and beautiful. They imagined elite people mingling in parties thrown in the apartment. Every part of the building represented the elite lifestyle of those time. It had expensive perfumes decorated on the dressing table. The place was furnished with luxuriant furniture and had many fancy dresses in its closet that gave a rich look to it. Surprisingly, most of the item concerning Mrs.De Florian was not touched at all. The woman died in a countryside many miles away from this apartment that had been holding her most valuable items. Why did she do that? Why did she leave her apartment in the first place? 

What Was The Rush?

The apartment and its late owner had whetted the curiosity of experts. the first question that popped up in their mind was that who was she and how did she manage to get the apartment full of high-priced items? They needed to find out more about her life in order to solve the mystery. The documents they had about the old woman did not reveal much about her life. The life of the woman had become a subject a suspicion for the experts. They looked high and low in the house to find relating to the woman. It was then they found a bundle of newspapers.   

Her Past

Newspapers predated to World War II. Which brought a big portion of her life to the light. The woman used to live in this apartment before the world war. And when the war reached its peak and the woman realized that the place is not safe for her anymore she abandoned the apartment. She was in too hurry to pick all her stuff. The woman headed to the south leaving the city behind that had got penetrated by the Germans. The government was dethroned and the city was rued by the Nazis. Amid all this, a 23-year-old girl was frantically looking for a safe place to hide. 

You Coming Back?

Parisian hatred for the Nazis had reached its peak. The Nazis would persecute them in the most traumatic way. The whole of the country was burning in the fire of war. There was no city that was left out of the brutality of Germans. In no time the city faced the scarcity of food. The people were imposed with the ration and strict curfew. Worstly, the Jews were picked and were taken to concentration camps. The woman, on the other hand, had found herself safe heaven but her apartment kept waiting for her return. Perhaps the woman never returned. That is what the condition of the apartment was saying. The house had successfully guarded a mystery for seven decades but now as the outside world had set foot in the house the mystery was soon going to be exposed. 

Walking Through History

They were done with the living room and now it was time to explore the other rooms. The 2 Rue La Bruyère based apartment had much more to flaunt. The room they entered first was quite vast in size. One of the walls of the room had a bookshelf carved in it that had stored some highly prestigious books of that time. Not only that the huge windows of the room were covered with gold curtains. The drapes were still keeping the sunlight from the room. The team drew the drape and the room got filled with sunlight once again after seven decades.          

Caught The Eyes

The light had exposed each and every item of the room. The room was as beautiful and full of wonders as the living room was. What caught the expert’s attention the most was a piece of furniture, a dressing table. The table had hairbrushes, perfumes, and lots of candles stubs on it. Interestingly, they all were in perfect order. Ready enough to be used by an elite woman. The entire team had never felt so mesmerized before. They were inspecting the table when something strange reflected in the mirror. They turned back to see what was it and had their mouth wide open.        

Room For More In The Room

Where everything was up to the mark no need to say that the dining room too was beautiful enough to steal their heart. It was a beautifully designed room with a huge wooden table in the center that was shadowed by a Victorian chandelier. The room’s ceiling was tin made that gave it a royal look. The dining table held china pieces, housed candelabras, and many more tiny pieces of jewelry. Clearly, if anyone wanted to buy the apartment he/she would have to splurge a big amount of money. Especially, after what the experts found.       

Great Host

Apart from all this they also discovered a wood stove along with a stone sink full of used pots, glassware, and pans. Whoever lived in this house must have been very fond of fancy accessories, big parties, and social gatherings. However, the resider must have had one more face unknown to the world. That is what the other discoveries conveyed.    

Disney And Decadent Decor

The apartment had a number of Taxidermies. In those times, these taxidermy pieces were a symbol of royal status. One of the best of all the pieces was that of a stuffed ostrich draped with a shawl fixed before the floral wallpaper and wooden wall panels. It was not the only thing, the place also had a couple of items from the pop culture i.e. stuffed Porky the Pig and Mickey Mouse that came much time before the WWII. Many items could not survive the time but then there was an item that was still intact and amazing enough to surprise them. Though every item in the room surprised everyone this particular one took the biscuit.    

Unknown Facts About WWII

World War II is one of the biggest blots on the history of the world that took away many lives and changed the face of the world. The war cost way more money, ammunition and thousands of lives than any other war ever could. And among all the prominent figure of the war, there was one named William Hitler. You might not have heard this name before. Adolf Hitler was William’s uncle. Interestingly, William was recruited in the U.S. Navy at the time of war. Postwar the man changed his name. 

What’s In The Name?

The National Socialist Party was popularly known as Nazi. We still address the party as Nazi but did you know that the real abbreviation for the party was Nasos. Ironically, the word Nazi that has come from a Bavarian word translates for  “simple-minded.”

Impact Of War

The U.S. defense budget underwent a head-spinning expenditure from $1.9 billion(1940) to $59.8 billion (1945) in the time stretching from 1940-1945. In 1941, whereas a private was remunerated $21 a month in salary, in 1942 it went up to $50 a month. The war required men and that is how the U.S armies recruited the personnel. Above 650,000 jeeps were manufactured at the time of WWII. The U.S. factories made about 89,000 tanks, 3 million machine guns, 7 million rifles, and 300,000 military aircraft.     

The Biggest Surprise

The already surprised Choppin-Janvry and his team felt floor swept off their feet when they saw something more special. Choppin-Janvry describes the moment “his heart skipped a beat” when a strange object caught his attention. They had to double take to actually believe it.   

And They Found It!

Choppin-Janvry was rummaging through some of the objects when he saw a portrait of a woman. The painting featured a sophisticated woman. By the woman’s appearance, it seemed that the woman belonged to aristocrat from Belle Époque era. The woman must be from upper-class French courtesan as the woman was dressed well. The painting had enchanted him so much that he kept on staring it for minutes. With that, a number of questions had popped up in his mind like who was the woman featured in the painting and who made it?   

In Search For Answers

Let us tell you a few things about this amazing painting that had captured the heart of the expert. the painting was made by Giovanni Boldini, an eminent Italian artist of the 19th century. From that day to this day, the painting stayed hidden. Had the experts not discovered it, the painting would have still been a secret. Well as far as the woman in the painting is concerned then it is said that the woman was Marthe de Florian, the grandmother of Mrs. De Florian and also a socialite and theater artist. The woman was a renowned personality in the city in the latter half of the 1800s as she was associated with a faction named “Les demimondaines,” the wild girls of the time. The group led a lavish lifestyle. They were renowned for partying all the time and for having flings with lots of people coming from the high class of society. 

Digging For The Truth

Very soon the words about the painting and the women in it spread all over the world. The painting of utmost importance had been staying under the garb of secrecy for 70 years and now as it was out it had caused a ripple amongst the historians and art lovers. Experts from every corner of the world headed towards Paris to know more about this painting. In the endeavoring, they resorted to French genealogical records to gather more details about the woman and her family.   

Real Identity

The experts found old newspaper clippings and birth records that revealed a great deal about Marthe. Her original name was Mathilde Heloise Beaugiron. The woman was a seamstress by profession. The woman was already parenting two children when she entered the world of acting. So, now the thing that was bothering the experts were why the eminent painter Boldini made her painting? Was there something between the two?   

World Leaders And Racy Love Letters

Along with the documents Choppin-Janvry also got his hand on a bundle of letters tied together with colorful ribbons. Well, the real twist came when he opened the letter. The letter had handwritings of Boldini and Georges Clemenceau who became the prime minister in future. As if it was not enough the expert stumbled upon something more amazing. 

One Clue From Several Others

Marc Ottavi was one of the members of the team of experts that was seeing to the case. While going through the bundle of letters, the man spotted a visiting card that was actually a love note by Boldini. Ottavi explains, “We had the link and I was sure at that moment that [the painting] was indeed a very fine Boldini.” The letter that Marc had found was big evidence substantiating the link between Boldini and Marthe. Interestingly, that was not the end.         

A String Of Famous Love Affairs

Marthe de Florian was quite famous for her link-ups with prominent personalities like Pierre Waldeck-Rousseau (the 68th Prime Minister of France), Georges Clemenceau (the 72nd Prime Minister of France), Gaston Doumergue (13th President of France), and Paul Deschanel (11th President of France). The love letters validate the assumption that Boldini and Marthe did have something going on between them. However, the painting did not confirm their affair but the letters were enough to uncover their relationship and so the mystery of this apartment. As if the letter were not enough, experts got their hand on one more thing that put all the doubts to rest at once.             

Emilia Cardona

The next thing that the experts found was a book. It was written by Emilia Cardona, wife of Boldini, in 1951. The book spanned her and her husband’s life. The lady while writing did not forget to mention Marthe De Florian. Marthe was 24 years old when Boldini painted her picture in 1888. Not only that she also mentioned that the two had an affair.  Now her revelation only added to the confidence of the experts. 

Woman In The Painting

The researchers concluded that Marthe de Florian was a French courtesan. The woman took birth on September 9, 1864, and passed away on August 29, 1939. The life of this woman had been erased from history all along. But now the woman is revived once again in history by Choppin-Janvry’s team after seven decades. The woman was born in the 18th arrondissement of Paris to Henriette Eloïse Bara and Jean Beaugiron. The woman had three siblings. However, she lost two of her brothers when they were very young. Even the details of the woman’s sister were not documented properly.        

More Of Her

She became a mother for the first time on October 12, 1882. There was no detail regarding his father’s name on his birth certificate. However, the document did have his profession registered on it. The certificate suggested that the man was an embroiderer by profession. Unfortunately, her son could not make it long and died only after turning three months old. And his death followed by another twist. 

A Cherished Son

However, the fortune did knock her door once again when she brought her second son to the world on April 7, 1884. The lady named his second son Henri Beaugiron. Her son spent his entire life and took his last breath in the same city only on May 12, 1966. He inhabited the same apartment on Rue La Bruyère during his living years. Well, not much is known about his father but it is assumed that his father must be one of her lovers including Auguste Albert Gaston Florian Mollard. It is also suspected that the name “de Florian” might have been derived from there only.   

The Real Mrs. De Florian?

Henri was with his mother when she gave up her soul in 1939. The experts concluded that from his signature that had been found on her death certificate. Henri occupied the apartment with her daughter Solange Beaugiron after the demise of his mother. It is believed that his daughter is Mrs. De Florian. Solange continued to reside in the apartment until World War started. It is popularly believed that the lady was a  playwriter who was working with a pseudonym “Solange Beldo.”   

A Beautiful Time In Paris

The apartment had another world in it. The house that came into existence in the late 1800s and early 1900s and since then has evaded the touch of humans successfully. Post world war many things had changed. The Paris was moving back towards development. The country managed to equip itself with advanced technologies and peace had been restored. The economy of the country was soaring by leap and bounds. But amid the development, there was his apartment frozen in past, waiting for the light to penetrate it. It was a time capsule for those people who had gone much ahead but still wanted to know about their past.   

Auctioning The Masterpiece

There was no doubt that this work of art was the creation of Giovanni Boldini. The painting was put on auction later. The auction began with the price $331,000 but the rate soars much higher after 10 bidders showed their interest in it. At last, the painting got sold at $3.4 million. It is noteworthy that this is the only painting of Boldini that got sold at such a huge amount. Ottavi puts it, “It was a magic moment. One could see that the buyer loved the painting; he paid the price of passion.”   

Nazi Looting And Plunder

Finding the painting in such a beautiful shape surprised the experts big time. At the time of war, Nazis were handpicking all the finest work of art only to raze them to ashes. However, this painting that was not only beautiful but a valuable asset remained off their radar all through the time, thanks to Solange who locked the door while heading to the south. You won’t believe the havoc the Third Reich brought to Europe when World War II was at its full swing.      

Hitler’s Affinity For The Arts

Adolf Hitler thought of himself to be an artist of the first class. That is why the man got very angry when he was barred from entering the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. Hitler took it as an insult and so ordered the Nazis to destroy each and every piece of art they lay their eyes on. And also entrusted the fraction to demolish artwork that they think is useless i.e. Modern Art. His order was followed by the establishment of organizations with the aim of protecting the great artworks. The owners even offered to go to a concentration camp in exchange for protection of the artworks from the Nazis.

Stealing All Of Europe’s Art

The Nazis nearly destroyed the world of arts. They plundered about 20% of Europe’s art. Not only that, above 100,000 items never made it back to their original owners. There are no traces of many significant pieces of art. And then there is some artwork that is still unnamed.

In this context, the sad case of Maria Altmann would surely make sense.   

The Woman In Gold

Maria Altmann was one of those victims who fell prey to Nazi’s plunder and looting. The woman’s painting named “Women in Gold” was designed by Gustav Klimt. Unfortunately, the painting got stolen by the Nazis. Well, you must be wondering why the woman was so attached to this painting? Klimt called the painting “Portrait of Adele Block-Bauer I.” The man gave it this name after the woman who was featured in the painting i.e. Maria Altmann’s aunt Adele. The Nazis took away the painting after Ferdinand Bloch Bauer, Adele’s husband left the country. It was post World War II, the painting finally reached the Austrian State Gallery.   

Insufferable Thieves

the woman clearly remembers the moment when the plundering took place. She recalled, “they just came and took things. They didn’t ask you.” They picked every jewelry and paintings they could get their hands on and took away with themselves. The Nazis also looted Adele’s gold leaf 1907 portrait. She further stated, “They just rang the doorbell and I opened it and there they were. They were not in uniform because it was Gestapo and they didn’t wear uniforms. My father died two weeks after that, it was absolutely a broken heart – he died of a broken heart.”    

Hermann Göring’s Wife, Emmy

The necklace the woman is wearing in the portrait was too stole away by the Nazis. Later on, it was gifted to the Luftwaffe commander Hermann Göring who gave it to his wife Emmy. The woman bragged about the gift in different parties. Altmann described, “They immediately asked me for my jewelry which I had just gotten from my uncle for my wedding present.” “It was Adele’s beautiful diamond necklace with the earrings to match. That went to Mrs. Göring,” she added.  

Reclamation And Restitution

Many years flew by and finally, the time came when the Nazi-stolen art was being returned to its original owners. The news gave her hope and the courage to go to any extent to get her painting back. At the ripe age of 82, she fought the battle and won it. The old woman managed to get half a dozen of her paintings back. “The Woman in Gold” happened to be one of those.     

Another Auction

In June 2006 Ronald Lauder bought the painting from Altman. Ronald is the son of Estée Lauder. The painting was traded for whopping $135 million. It was a record as no painting had ever cost this much of money. Lauder later brought the painting to Neue Galerie Museum in New York. The painting now is put on public display as wished by her aunt Adele who died in 1925. This was one of the many stories that are attached to this painting.      

The Basis Of A Mystery Novel

Though the experts managed to find out a lot about Solange’s life, one doubt still remained unsolved. This was a fact that Solange never returned to her apartment after settling in the countryside. How she used to pay the rent if she never got back to the place. Did she know that the painting that was in her apartment was of great value? If yes, then why didn’t she took it with her while going away?

This amazing true story fascinated many people and one among them was Michelle Gable who went on to write a book on it in 2014, named, “A Paris Apartment”.