The sign on the ground says Help us to restore the paintings in Tours Railway Station. To quote Susan Walter from Days on the Claise, “The station at Tours has a series of 18 painted ceramic panels decorating the walls since 1898. Their purpose is to beautify the station concourse and entice travellers to the destinations portrayed. At present the panels are badly in need of conservation and a crowd-funding campaign is underway to raise the money to save them. Each panel will cost €8000 to clean, conserve and reattach the tiles to the walls. To donate to the restoration fund go to Ulule Gare Tours.” Arcachon is on the Atlantic Coast north of Bordeaux.
C’est en lisant le blog de Susan Walter, Days on the Claise que j’ai appris que les 18 tableaux en céramique qui ornent les murs de la gare de Tours sont en péril. Une campagne a été lancé pour associer le publique à leur rénovation. Il faut compter 8000 € par panneau. Pour y contribuer rendez-vous sur Ulule Gare Tours.
3 replies on “Arcachon in Tours”
It does sound like the right thing to do.
Many thanks for this Rosemary. The money for the first panel to be restored (Arcachon) has been raised and the funds raised above the €8000 needed are going towards the second (which I suspect will be Carcassone). At the moment the panels are either removed, with a photo or banner in their place, or covered in a conservation film which is semi-transparent. They’ll be superb once they are finished. Donors get rewards ranging from their name appearing on the ‘with thanks’ plaque at the end of the project to a private visit to the conservator’s studio or tour of the station including getting up on the roof with an architect — it all depends on how much you donate.
@William – Yes I sent off my contribution
@Susan – Then I guess our donation contributed to Arcachon even if I don”t know how to spell it! I had never been into Tours station before. It would be such a pity if they were not restored.