ÊFor two weeks we had been lodging temporarily in the top of a comfortable little hotel, called the Grand something (most of the Parisian hotels are Grand), the window of which commanded a superb view of the great city, the vaudeville playhouse of the world. Pour la premi�re fois the dazzle and glitter had burst upon us, confusing first, but now assuming form and coherence. If we and incomprehensible at could have had each a dozen eyes instead of two, or less greed to see and more patience to learn! Day by day we had put off the inevitable evil of finding a studio. Every night found us in the cheapest seats of some theatre, and often we lolled on the terraces of the CafŽ de la Paix, watching the pretty girls as they passed, their silken skirts saucily pulled up, revealing dainty laces and ankles. From the slippery floor of the Louvre galleries we had studied the masterpieces of David, Rubens, Rembrandt, and the rest; had visited the PanthŽon, the MusŽe Cluny; had climbed the Eiffel Tower, and traversed the Bois de Boulogne and the Champs-ElysŽes. Then came the search for a studio and the settling to work. It would be famous to have a little home of our very own, where we could have little dinners of our very own cooking! It is with a shudder that I recall those eleven days of ceaseless studio-hunting. We dragged ourselves through miles of Quartier Latin streets, and up hundreds of flights of polished waxed stairs, behind puffing concierges in carpet slippers, the puffing changing to grumbling, as, dissatisfied, the concierges followed us down the stairs. The Quartier abounds with placards reading, "Atelier d'Artiste ˆ Louer!" The rentals ranged from two hundred to two thousand francs a year, and the sizes from cigar-boxes to barns. But there was always something lacking. On the eleventh day we found a suitable place on the sixth (top) floor of a quaint old house in a passage off the Rue St.- AndrŽ-des-Arts. There were overhead and side lights, and from the window a noble view of Paris over the house-tops.

Exotic and yet familiar, rife with passion, immorality, hunger, and freedom, Bohemia was an object of both worry and fascination to workaday Parisians in the nineteenth century. No mere revolt against middle-class society, the Bohemia Seigel discovers was richer and more complex, the stage on which modern bourgeois acted out the conflicts of their social identities, testing the liberation promised by post-revolutionary society against the barriers set up to contain it. Turning life into art, Bohemia became a space where many innovative and original figures—some famous, some obscure—found a home.

Explores how the atmosphere and people of Paris lead to the development of modern art at the beginning of the twentieth century and profiles influential artists and writers of the era.

In 'Bohemian Paris of To-day', editors W.C. Morrow and Edward Cucuel present a vivid mosaic of essays, narratives, and illustrations that plunge the reader into the heart of late 19th-century Parisian bohemia. This collection is distinguished not only by its rich thematic diversityencompassing art, literature, and the uniquely liberated lifestyle of the Parisian bohemianbut also by its commitment to showcasing a range of literary and artistic styles. Through its pages, the anthology captures the essence of a period marked by radical artistic innovation and intense cultural dynamism, offering readers an intimate glimpse into the lives of those who defined the boundaries of creative freedom and expression. The work stands as a testament to the enduring allure and complexity of bohemian Paris, inviting readers to explore this vibrant world through a blend of narrative vignettes and artistic representations. The contributors, W.C. Morrow and Edward Cucuel, themselves embody the spirit of the collection, having navigated the artistic and literary circles of their time. Their firsthand experiences and observations lend authenticity and depth to the anthology, bridging the gap between observer and participant. The collection aligns with the broader cultural and artistic movements of the erasuch as Symbolism and Decadencecapturing the zeitgeist of a period characterized by a fervent quest for aesthetic and philosophical liberation. The fusion of Morrow's narrative prowess with Cucuel's artistic vision creates a holistic portrayal of bohemian Paris, emphasizing the collective's contribution to the rich tapestry of cultural and artistic history. 'Bohemian Paris of To-day' is an essential read for anyone intrigued by the allure of bohemian culture, the evolution of modern art, and the literary movements of the late 19th century. Through its diverse array of perspectives and styles, the collection offers a unique opportunity to dive deep into the lifeblood of Parisian bohemia, enriching the reader's understanding and appreciation of this pivotal era in artistic and cultural history. This anthology is not merely a collection of works; it is an invitation to explore the intersection of art, life, and liberty as experienced by the bohemians of Paris, making it a valuable addition to the libraries of scholars, enthusiasts, and anyone fascinated by the confluence of creativity and rebellion.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

In The World of the Paris Café, W. Scott Haine investigates what the working-class café reveals about the formation of urban life in nineteenth-century France. Café society was not the product of a small elite of intellectuals and artists, he argues, but was instead the creation of a diverse and changing working population. Making unprecedented use of primary sources—from marriage contracts to police and bankruptcy records—Haine investigates the café in relation to work, family life, leisure, gender roles, and political activity. This rich and provocative study offers a bold reinterpretation of the social history of the working men and women of Paris.

What did it mean to call someone 'eccentric' in nineteenth-century Paris? And why did breaking with convention arouse such ambivalent responses in middle-class readers, writers, and spectators? From high society to Bohemia and the demi-monde to the madhouse, the scandal of nonconformism provoked anxiety, disgust, and often secret yearning. In a culture preoccupied by the need for order yet simultaneously drawn to the values of freedom and innovation, eccentricity continually tested the boundaries of bourgeois identity, ultimately becoming inseparable from it. This interdisciplinary study charts shifting French perceptions of the anomalous and bizarre from the 1830s to the fin de siècle, focusing on three key issues. First, during the July Monarchy eccentricity was linked to fashion, dandyism, and commodity culture; to many Parisians it epitomized the dangerous seductions of modernity and the growing prestige of the courtesan. Second, in the aftermath of the 1848 Revolution eccentricity was associated with the Bohemian artists and performers who inhabited 'the unknown Paris', a zone of social exclusion which middle-class spectators found both fascinating and repugnant. Finally, the popularization of medical theories of national decline in the latter part of the century led to decreasing tolerance for individual difference, and eccentricity was interpreted as a symptom of hidden insanity and deformity. Drawing on a wide range of sources, including etiquette manuals, fashion magazines, newspapers, novels, and psychiatric treatises, the study highlights the central role of gender in shaping perceptions of eccentricity. It provides new readings of works by major French writers and illuminates both well-known and neglected figures of Parisian modernity, from the courtesan and Bohemian to the female dandy and circus freak.

Bohemia has been variously defined as a mythical country, a state of mind, a tavern by the wayside on the road of life. The editors of this volume prefer a leaner definition: an attitude of dissent from the prevailing values of middle-class society, one dependent on the existence of caf life. But whatever definition is preferred, this rich and long overdue collective portrait of Bohemian life in a large variety of settings is certain to engage and even entrance readers of all types: from the student of culture to social researchers and literary figures n search of their ancestral roots. The work is international in scope and social scientific in conception. But because of the special nature of the Bohemian fascination, the volume is also graced by an unusually larger number of exquisite literary essays. Hence, one will find in this anthology writings by Malcolm Cowely, Norman Podhoretz, Norman Mailer, Theophile Gautier, Honore de Balzac, Mary Austin, Stefan Zweig, Nadine Gordimer, and Ernest Hemingway. Social scientists are well represented by Cesar Grana, Ephraim Mizruchi, W.I. Thomas, Florian Znaniecki, Harvey Zorbaugh, John R. Howard, and G. William Domhoff, among others.The volume is sectioned into major themes in the history of Bohemia: social and literary origins, testimony by the participants, analysis by critics of and crusaders for the bohemian life, the ideological characteristics of the bohemians, and the long term prospect as well as retrospect for bohemenianism as a system, culture and ideology. The editors have provided a framework for examining some fundamental themes in social structure and social deviance: What are the levels of toleration within a society? Do artists deserve and receive special treatment by the powers that be? And what are the connections between bohemian life-styles and political protest movements?This is an anthology and not a treatise, so the reader is free to pick and choose not only wha