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From Gutter to Glitter: How Two Courtesans Achieved Immortal Fame
. Ah, the Victorian era in Paris – when moral virtue was loudly proclaimed in public and quietly ignored in private. Among the many fascinating characters of this period, none captivated (or...
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The Zone: The Underbelly of Paris
. Map of Paris in 1889. In the early 20th century, as the city underwent rapid expansion, the decision was made to demolish the outdated fortifications that encircled the city. / Paris, with its grand...
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The Noon Girl: La Midinette
The Arrival of the Midinettes by Jean Béraud In the earlier Parisian fauna, we met the grisettes and the gigolettes. The former were independent working-class girls often romantically involved with...
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Parisian Prostitutes (5): The Clandestines
The Milliner on the Champs Elysées by Jean Beraud In this fifth and last part of the series, Octave Uzanne explores the hidden side of the Parisian sex industry. The text was published in 1912. This...
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The Policeman’s Work Is Never Done
An attack on a police wagon. Criminal gangs were the scourge of Paris It was never easy to police Paris. The Parisians, instead of being glad for the help and protection, have always despised their...
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The Opera of Paris: We Also Procure Our Ballerinas to Wealthy Men
Backstage at the Opera by Jean Béraud The title of this post is not an exaggeration, although the Opera directors would have preferred a more subtle one or, ideally, a complete silence on the subject....
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Parisian Prostitutes (4): The jolies madames
Again, let’s thank Octave Uzanne for his insightful book The Modern Parisienne published in 1912 : If we are to believe the adroit matrons, the distinguished old ladies, the venerable grandmothers who...
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Parisian Prostitutes (3): The impostors
The following text by Octave Uzanne comes from the book The Modern Parisienne, published in 1910. Although Edwardian instead of Victorian, Uzanne’s book describes Paris that had hardly changed since...
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Parisian Prostitutes (2): La gigolette
The following text by Octave Uzanne comes from the book The Modern Parisienne, published in 1910. A much more formidable species is the gigolette, who is also to be found on the outskirts of Paris....
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Parisian Prostitutes (1): The fortifications whore
The following text by Octave Uzanne comes from the book The Modern Parisienne, published in 1910. Although Edwardian instead of Victorian, Uzanne’s book describes Paris that had...
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Drink and prostitution: The Belle Epoque Hooters
“Come and See Pretty Pussies” – Street advertisement for a brasserie Among the big headaches for municipal authorities of Paris in the second part of the 19th century was the appearance of the...
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Saint-Lazare: Women in prison
By William Walton, published in 1899 Searching a prisoner at Saint-Lazare Saint-Lazare, on the Faubourg Saint-Denis, is at once a hospital, a police station, and a prison for women, and its methods and...
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The Sad Story of Two Grisettes
The following anecdote from Paris: With Pen and Pencil by David W. Bartlett published in 1854 tells the life story of two women, but the same fate was dealt to an entire class of poor Parisians for...
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Degrees of prostitution
This drawing of tarts in a low-class brasserie provides food for thought. In the Victorian era, destitute women had few choices for making a living: servitude, drudgery in sweat-shops or, failing that,...
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The Guide to Gay Paree 1869 – Part 8: Beware!
(From Paris Partout! A guide for the English and American Traveller in 1869 or How to see PARIS for 5 guineas) Jean -Louis Forrain "At the Public Garden", 1884 Beware of the flower girls at the bals...
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Prostitutes in Paris
George Drysdale The Elements of social science… 1861 “The question first arises “what is a prostitute ?” To this the law answers, that it is one, who openly and with little or no distinction of...
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Dinner with courtesans
From the Goncourt Journal Text written in 1857 *** June 7th Dinner at Asseline’s with Anna Deslions, Adèle Courtois, a certain Juliette, and her sister. Anna Deslions, Bianchi’s former mistress and...
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La grisette
Homage to the grisette. Statue erected in 1830 From Europe Viewed Through American Spectacles by Charles C. Fulton. Text written in 1873. It’s a common remark among strangers in France that about every...
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