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a close up of a hat on a mannequin heada close up of a red hat on a white surfacea close up of a hat on a white surfacean image of a red and black hat on a mannequin headburgundy wool beret hat with green brimle
Balsan Encheres

536 - LUNA PARC, PARIS – rare GROOM’S KEPI / CAP WITH BRIM – ( * )
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Estimate €150
Sale commission
Description
LUNA PARC, PARIS – rare GROOM’S KEPI / CAP WITH BRIM – ( * ) Red fabric, black patent leather – on the front, a black fabric band decorated with gold-embroidered canette thread reading “LUNA – PARK”. - 2 small round copper buttons at the ends of the visor. Size 53. Inside, a beautiful silver stamp reading “THIERRY & SIGRAND, the best value in the world”. ( * ) An amusement park situated near Porte Maillot, on the site of the present-day Palais des Congrès. Opened in 1909, closed in 1931 or 1934 (depending on the source) – At LUNA PARC, owned by the famous showman LEON VOLTERRA (**), there was an abundance of spectacular attractions and a permanent funfair, open from 1 pm to midnight, drawing huge crowds: the Scenic Railway, the 1,947-metre-long rollercoaster, the water slide, the ‘Palais des Folies’ dance hall, and ‘the spaceship’ from the ‘Journey to the Moon’ ride. A place of excess: in 1931, Léon Volterra bought 25 embalmed whales and 100 live penguins to display to the public! – In 1946, following expropriation, the park was evicted to make way for the City of Paris. From 1948, it made way for a vast administrative complex housing the departments of the Ministry of Reconstruction, before the Palais des Congrès and the Hôtel Concorde Lafayette were finally built there in 1974. ( ** ) LEON VOLTERRA: the most prominent showman and impresario of his time. He discovered Maurice Chevalier, Mistinguett… As well as Luna Parc, he owned the Lido, the Casino de Paris, the Théâtre Marigny, the Olympia, the Folies Bergères, the Eden and the Théâtre de Paris. He purchased the Château Camarat, a wine-growing estate in Ramatuelle, which became the Château Volterra, a part-time residence for the era’s leading figures (Raimu, Cocteau…), and a centre for the Resistance during the war… He was Mayor of Saint-Tropez from 1935 to 1941 – a great horse lover, he developed one of the most successful stud farms of the time. Today, the Prix Volterra at Longchamp bears his name in his honour.
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About the sale SALE OF COINS, BANKNOTES, MEDALS, CIVILIAN AND MILITARY HEADGEAR, INSIGNIA AND DECORATIONS – lots 300 to 598 Followed by OLD PAPERS, PHOTOGRAPHS, POSTCARDS, DOCUMENTS AND MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS – Lots 599 to 862
Auction location
Auction time 10/20/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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