Some interesting brickwork and stonework around the door.
Yes – I thought it was quite interesting, especially the door high up in the wall. It made me wonder if there had originally (probably 16th century) been wooden or stone steps up to that floor. The building is now a restaurant, so I wondered if that had been the family’s living quarters. Although those would have been *very* generous living quarters for Honfleur!!
Sometimes the door wasn’t a door. Old warehouses and mills had a pulley system mounted over the door as a way of lifting goods up to that floor.
Oh – of course!!! I don’t know why I didn’t think of that!
so interesting – almost plays with your mind to wonder how and why and when this door was used
Yes, it does! David M reminded me that often the upper “doors” were used with pulleys to hoist goods up to the storage loft. That would be historically accurate since this building probably goes back at least to the 16th century. But the door certainly fasciated me when I saw it and made me wonder what the story was! It seems to be nailed closed now.
oh thanks – and we saw some doors with an upper door – a little similar but also a little different – and ugh. we were told they were use to show the slaves for sale hundreds of years ago – made me sad
Honfleur was indeed a major port due to it’s location. According to Wikipedia, after 1608, its trade greatly expanded and sadly became one of 5 ports for the slave trade in France. However this building that is now a restaurant is several small and narrow medieval blocks from the port. Based on what I know from teaching American History to 5th graders, (even though practices might have different in France) slaves were generally shown in groups in an easily accessible and visible space such as the town square or right there at the port. Although this building is indeed on a square of sorts, it does’t make sense to me for the slave sellers to go to the trouble and time of taking all the slaves up to a building’s loft (which was most probably used for storing supplies) and showing them off one by one or two by two. Not that that couldn’t have happened, but I doubt that it was the usual practice.
Thanks for sharing that – makes sense to me – I will see if I have a photo of the little info plate that was there – but thanks again – really
Love learning
You are most welcome, Prior.
😊
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Zebra's Child 
Magnifique!
Some interesting brickwork and stonework around the door.
Yes – I thought it was quite interesting, especially the door high up in the wall. It made me wonder if there had originally (probably 16th century) been wooden or stone steps up to that floor. The building is now a restaurant, so I wondered if that had been the family’s living quarters. Although those would have been *very* generous living quarters for Honfleur!!
Sometimes the door wasn’t a door. Old warehouses and mills had a pulley system mounted over the door as a way of lifting goods up to that floor.
Oh – of course!!! I don’t know why I didn’t think of that!
so interesting – almost plays with your mind to wonder how and why and when this door was used
Yes, it does! David M reminded me that often the upper “doors” were used with pulleys to hoist goods up to the storage loft. That would be historically accurate since this building probably goes back at least to the 16th century. But the door certainly fasciated me when I saw it and made me wonder what the story was! It seems to be nailed closed now.
oh thanks – and we saw some doors with an upper door – a little similar but also a little different – and ugh. we were told they were use to show the slaves for sale hundreds of years ago – made me sad
Honfleur was indeed a major port due to it’s location. According to Wikipedia, after 1608, its trade greatly expanded and sadly became one of 5 ports for the slave trade in France. However this building that is now a restaurant is several small and narrow medieval blocks from the port. Based on what I know from teaching American History to 5th graders, (even though practices might have different in France) slaves were generally shown in groups in an easily accessible and visible space such as the town square or right there at the port. Although this building is indeed on a square of sorts, it does’t make sense to me for the slave sellers to go to the trouble and time of taking all the slaves up to a building’s loft (which was most probably used for storing supplies) and showing them off one by one or two by two. Not that that couldn’t have happened, but I doubt that it was the usual practice.
Thanks for sharing that – makes sense to me – I will see if I have a photo of the little info plate that was there – but thanks again – really
Love learning
You are most welcome, Prior.
😊