The Eiffel Tower staircase

The Eiffel tower opened in 1889, during the Universal Exposition, a fair celebrating the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. In 1983, they renovated the Tower: they removed some parts of the staircase and elevators replaced them.  

Eiffel Tower officials sold 20 of these parts  in 1983. Most are still with their first owners. Other parts can be seen in museums in Paris, in eastern France, in Japan, and near the Statue of Liberty.

Artcurial’s Art Deco department in Paris will sell a 14-step section of the historic staircase next month. 

 It connected the second and third floors. It  is 2.75 meters high and 1.75 meters wide. Buyers will need a lot of money — and a big house — to keep it. Experts say it will cost between $140,000 and $175,000.

Artcurial associate director said the staircase section is “more than just a piece of history. It’s an immersive experience, a trip through time and space. Imagine yourself in 1889 on this staircase, between 113 and 276 meters high, with no safety barriers, but with a 360-degree view of Paris.”

Artcurial sold other sections before. The record sale was section 13, which was in very good conditions – like the one they are offering now. A Chinese unidentified collector bought it for about $612,000 in 2016.

 

From ScrippNews (edited)

Man wins Picasso painting

 

A man has won a painting by Pablo Picasso, worth about $1.2 million.

The winner is Ari Hodara. He is an engineer and he likes art. He found out he won when he answered a video call from Christie's in Paris.

At first, he did not believe it. He asked, “How do I know this is not a joke?”

People bought more than 120,000 tickets for the raffle. Each ticket cost about $120. In total, they raised about $13 million for Alzheimer’s research.

This fund raising raffle is called “1 Picasso for 100 euros.” It started in 2013.

The prize this year was a painting called Tête de Femme (“Head of a Woman”). It shows Dora Maar, who was Picasso’s partner and also an artist.

Hodara, the winner, said, “I was surprised. When you buy a ticket, you don’t expect to win. But I am very happy because I love painting.”

His ticket number was 94,715. He bought it over the weekend after learning about the competition by chance.

French journalist Peri Cochin organized the raffle with help from Picasso’s family and foundation.

Although the tickets were sold in dozens of countries worldwide, she said it was great that the winner lives in Paris because it will be easy to give him the painting.

Paris is also the city where Picasso lived and worked for many years.

From the money raised, about $1.2 million will go to the Opera Gallery that owned the painting. The rest will go to France's Alzheimer's Research Foundation.

The first edition of the raffle was in 2013. A 25-year old American  man from the U.S. won, and the money helped protect  the Lebanese city of Tyre - a Unesco World Heritage Site.

A 58-year-old Italian accountant won the second edition, in 2020, after her son bought her a ticket for Christmas. Proceeds were donated to sanitation projects in schools and villages in Cameroon, Madagascar and Morocco.

From BBC (edited)

The World’s Biggest Natural Gas Producers

From Visual Capitalist 

Arguments for and against phone-free venues

Do you agree or disagree with these arguments?                                                                                         👎 Arguments for phone-free venues

1.     Encourages real social interaction. People are more likely to talk, connect, and engage without digital distractions. 2.     Improves atmosphere. A room without glowing screens often feels more intimate and lively. 3.     Enhances dining experience. Guests focus more on the food, drinks, and company. 4.     Reduces noise and eliminates disruptive sounds from phones. 5.     Promotes mindfulness. Being present can improve mood and overall satisfaction. 6.     Creates a unique brand identity. Protects privacy. Less risk of being photographed or recorded without consent. 7.     Encourages longer, deeper conversations. Without interruptions, discussions tend to be more meaningful. 8.     Reduces screen addiction behaviors. Provides a break from constant scrolling and notifications. 9.     Better service interactions. Customers may be more attentive to staff, improving communication and service quality. 10.    Attracts a niche clientele tired of digital overload, differentiating the business.     👎 Arguments against phone-free venues 1.     Some customers may feel uncomfortable or unsafe without access to their phones.   2.     Many people need to stay reachable for job responsibilities.   3.     Limits accessibility for those using phones for translation, menus, or dietary apps.   4.     Can feel restrictive or controlling. Customers may dislike being told what they can or cannot do.   5.     Alienates younger patrons who rely on phones for photos, reviews, and social sharing.   6.     Emergency concerns - Immediate access to a phone can be important in urgent situations.   7.     Awkward for solo customers. Phones often provide comfort or entertainment when alone.   8.     Potential enforcement issues. Staff may struggle to enforce the rule consistently.   9.     Customer dissatisfaction risk. Some patrons may choose not to visit due to the policy.   10.    Risks lost revenue from influencers and foodies who promote via social media. Harms business visibility, as no user-generated content means less free marketing online.