Morris column

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A Morris column in front of the Palais Brongniart
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A Morris column in front of the Palais Brongniart

Morris columns (French: Colonne Morris) are cylindrical outdoor sidewalk structures with a characteristic style that are used for advertising and other purposes. They are common in the city of Paris, France and traditionally have been closely associated with that city. Originally built by La Société Fermière des Colonnes Morris, from which they derive their name, they are mostly built and maintained today by the JCDecaux company, which purchased Morris in 1986. [1]

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[edit] Purposes

Morris columns are most typically used to display advertisements in the form of posters; many such advertisements have traditionally concerned theater, cinema, nightclub, and concert announcements. Some are motorized and rotate very slowly. A few Morris columns house Sanisettes or telephone booths. At the beginning of 2006, there were 790 Morris columns in Paris, of which 18 contained telephones and six contained Sanisettes. Some 233 Morris columns are scheduled to be removed in the near future.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ JCDecaux. Colonne. 40 ans d'innovation. Retrieved on 2006-05-19.

[edit] References

  • Mobilier Urbain - Inventory of street installations in Paris (in French)
  • 20 Minutes - “Les colonnes Morris en voie de disparition,” 20 Minutes (Paris), 6 January 2006, Grand Paris p. 4 (in French)
  • JC Decaux - Current manufacturer of Morris columns

[edit] See also

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