(All images courtesy of 4.4.2 Explorations; the Villeneuve Private Collection)
For those with a love of urban transportation, this incredible collection of old-time (and more recent) vehicles offers a veritable treasure trove of history that spans a century. Even those with little more than a passing interest cannot fail to be struck by the impressive array of vintage trams, trolleybuses and railway locomotives, all of them in seemingly-perfect condition, which make up this discrete repository of vehicles. Welcome to the Villeneuve Private Collection, where 100 years of transportation history stands quietly amid a Parisian warehouse off-limits to the general public.
The Villeneuve Collection belongs to the RATP Group (the Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens, or Autonomous Operator of Parisian Transports) the state-owned public transport company which is headquartered in the French capital. But this is not an official museum. The historic collection isn’t open to the public, with the exception of rare private events, and photographic opportunities are highly sought after.
As a result, the Villeneuve Private Collection has acquired an aura of mystery among photographers clamouring to captured its beautifully restored vehicles on camera. French-based photographer 4.4.2 Explorations was among the lucky ones.
Gazing at these timeless machines (if only digitally) evokes an epoch when public transportation flawlessly combined form and function. Some internals are more austere than others, but there’s no denying the elegance of these machines, nor the high standards of craftsmanship integral within their construction.
(All images courtesy of 4.4.2 Explorations)
Perhaps one day the Villeneuve Private Collection will be open to the public. But in the meantime, we’ll leave you with these striking photographs from within the mysterious warehouse somewhere in Paris.
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