Albert Londres’ Birth House

Are you a little surprised to see such an odd-looking house? Well, don’t be, because Vichy’s old town alone is full of quirky architecture. This corner house, built in the 1830s, is in fact one of the most emblematic monuments in the Auvergne region. Sure, its unique Gothic style with the two strange turrets and brick walls makes it stand out. But believe me when I say focusing on its looks alone would be a mistake! Built at the request of the examining magistrate of Cusset, this building was the birthplace of an iconic local figure in 1884: Albert Londres. If this name doesn’t ring a bell, let me get you up to speed. Londres was a dedicated journalist and author of several eminent texts on various topics, including human rights. He is one of the most famous French reporters of the 19th century. You see, though destined to be a poet, he fell in love with investigative journalism. He covered the devastation and battles of World War I, Russian communism, the penal colony in Guiana, the grueling Tour de France, and the forced prostitution of young French women in Argentina. He fearlessly exposed injustices, even if it meant upsetting the powerful, thus causing quite a stir in society. He used to say: “The job of a journalist is neither to please, nor to do harm; it ‘s rather to twist the knife in the wound”. In 1932, on his way back from a report in China, the liner he was traveling on was on caught fire due to a short circuit. While most passengers were rescued, Albert Londres died on board. That same year, his daughter and three of his closest friends created an award in his honor. To this day, this prestigious award is given each year to the best French-speaking “Grand Reporter”. Throughout his life, Londres returned to this house many times, to visit his grandparents. It was almost demolished after being abandoned for some thirty years, but it was saved in the nick of time by the “Maison Albert Londres” association in 2014. Since 2017, they’ve been working to restore the house to its former glory, so as to honor the life and work of Albert Londres, known to this day as the “father of investigative journalism”.