Where can you find the "nightingale" that sang for Maurice Ravel, composer of the famous Bolero ? Which museum in the heart of Paris has been called the "smallest museum in the world"? Where does "Dame Baccarat" wait to greet you, wearing the only "chandelier" dress in Paris?

Those who seek something off the beaten path in Paris need look no further: Rachel Kaplan has uncovered some 30 museums, ranging from the grand -- Alexandre Dumas's Monte-Cristo Estate -- to the quaint, such as the Fan Museum, which houses nearly 800 French fans. Of the Museum of the Institute of the Arab World, Kaplan remarks, "[it] contains a precious legacy which not only helps to illuminate the past, but also enhances our understanding of many current advances we may have come to take for granted. Its handsome and well-documented displays of sumptuous woven rugs and textiles, richly embroidered costumes, ceramics and scientific instruments, confirm that without the influence of Arabic art and science, the world as we know it today would be a very different place." With beautiful color photographs and affectionate commentary, Little-Known Museums in and Around Paris is the perfect tonic for travelers with the "been there, done that" blues.
-- Jhana Bach

by Rachel Kaplan

Editor: Adele Westbrook; Designer: Lorraine Ferguson; Principal photographer: Matthieu Deluc.
Paperback - 216 pages
Published October 1996 by Harry N. Abrams.
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List Price: $19.95
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ISBN: 0810926768

Reader comments: "...(Kaplan) is an exceptional raconteur and brings Paris alive with her use of interesting anecdotes, historical facts, and high quality photographs." -- " This is a wonderful book for the art lover and traveler who want to see beauty that doesn't necessary make the pages of the usual guide books - and misses the tourist crowds as well."