During my trip I was enrolled in a hands-on photography course that allowed me to dive deep into the rich, Parisian culture. For my final project I compiled a story on a famous Parisian bakery, Max Polâine. The project was a little tough to get off of the ground, but once the pictures were taken and printed the reward was sweet (pun intended).
I sought ought Polâine after reading many reviews about the French bakery. The bread baking company was founded in 1932, by Pierre Polâine, who opened the first bakery in the city's Sixth Arrondissement. In 1973, after suffering a stroke, his son Lionel began to take over the company. Lionel opened two more bakeries in Paris and another in London. Sadly, in 2002, Lionel Polâine was killed in a car crash with his wife. Their daughter, Apollonia, took over as C.E.O. of the company and ran the company while attending Harvard University. Today, Polâine grosses nearly eighteen million dollars a year and employs a hundred and sixty people. The bakery's signature item is a wheel of sourdough, also known as a miche.
The bakery I visited was the fourth, and newest Polâine bakery in Paris, located in the Fifteenth Arrondissement and owned my Max Polâine, Lionel's older brother. Being honest, the thought of visiting a famous French bakery and asking for permission to take pictures was a bit overwhelming, not to mention extremely nerve racking. Many of the bakeries in Paris forbid photography in their sweet shops, and I don't blame them! Breads and pastries are meant to be enjoyed and eaten, not snapped and flashed at. Regardless, I was determined to complete my project.
Luckily for me, my photography professor had a friend that lived around the corner from the bakery. He introduced us and after a couple of conversations I was able to understand how important the bakery was to the community. After compiling my research, I mustered up the courage to visit the bakery and ask for permission to take photographs. Although my French wasn't as polished as I would have liked it to be, I managed to get access to the bakery and to the kitchen where they mix and cook the dough.
I was so inspired by the tiny shop. I loved the smell of the freshly baked breads and the way they were organized so you could see them before you even entered the pastry shop. I marveled at the amount of loaves they were cranking out each day. It was very inspiring to watch the way they worked, with passion and dedication. They explained the entire process to me from the mixing and proofing, to baking. The experience was life changing. From what was just a simple final project turned into a lesson in history and culture. On a more personal level, it really changed the way I think about baking. I hope one day I'll be able to crank out this many loaves! For now, I'll continue to try each baguette that comes my way.
