Caduceus ironwork, the staff of Mercury, protector of merchants, with 2 entwined serpents, at the main entrance to the registered head office of Societe Generale, at 29 Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France. There are 3 arched entrance doors set within the grooved limestone facade, with decorative ironwork and monograms. The building was originally built 1867-71 by Charles Rohault de Fleury as apartments, then transformed 1906-12 by Jacques Hermant, and in use from 1915. Societe Generale, founded 1864, remains one of the largest banks in the world, although its headquarters are now at La Defense. The Haussmann building is listed as a historic monument. Picture by Manuel Cohen
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