La Samaritaine is pleased to participate in the exhibition La Saga des Grands Magasins as a sponsor, giver and lending institution, to share and introduce visitors to its history and collections.
The history of La Samaritaine begins at the end of the Second Empire when, in 1870, the young peddler Ernest Cognacq decided to open a small store at the foot of the Pont-Neuf: A la Samaritaine. Assisted by his wife, Marie-Louise Jaÿ, he quickly expanded his business until it became, at the turn of the 20th century, one of the most emblematic department stores in Paris. With its Art Nouveau and Art Deco facades, by architects Frantz Jourdain and Henri Sauvage respectively, the buildings were listed as Historic Monuments in 1990. Closed in 2005, La Samaritaine reopened its doors in 2021 for its 151st anniversary, after five years of titanic work and haute couture heritage restorations to regain its former splendor.
