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The Belle Époque: A Cultural History, Paris and Beyond

The Belle Époque: A Cultural History, Paris and Beyond

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  • Create Date：2021-09-08 07:51:30
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Dominique Kalifa
  • ISBN：0231202091
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Summary

The years before the First World War have long been romanticized as a zenith of French culture--the "Belle Époque。" The era is seen as the height of a lost way of life that remains emblematic of what it means to be French。 In a vast range of texts and images， it appears as a carefree time full of joie de vivre， fanfare and frills， artistic daring， and scientific innovation。 The Moulin Rouge shared the stage with the Universal Exposition， Toulouse-Lautrec rubbed elbows with Marie Curie and La Belle Otero， and Fantómas invented automatic writing。

This book traces the making--and the imagining--of the Belle Époque to reveal how and why it became a cultural myth。 Dominique Kalifa lifts the veil on a period shrouded in nostalgia， explaining the century-long need to continuously reinvent and even sanctify this moment。 He sifts through images handed down in memoirs and reminiscences， literature and film， art and history to explore the many facets of the era， including its worldwide reception。 The Belle Époque was born in France， but it quickly went global as other countries adopted the concept to write their own histories。 In shedding light on how the Belle Époque has been celebrated and reimagined， Kalifa also offers a nuanced meditation on time， history， and memory。

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Reviews

dia ，

（I received a free digital copy of this book via Netgalley！）I love reading History books， and it didn't surprise me I loved this one， especially since it's incredibly well written and full of references and little details that just add to it。 Dominique Kalifa aimed， with The Belle Époque， "to understand when and why this denomination was born， to analyze the uses made of it， the multiple social imaginaries to which it gave rise in later decades"。 He worked towards an understanding of how this id （I received a free digital copy of this book via Netgalley！）I love reading History books， and it didn't surprise me I loved this one， especially since it's incredibly well written and full of references and little details that just add to it。 Dominique Kalifa aimed， with The Belle Époque， "to understand when and why this denomination was born， to analyze the uses made of it， the multiple social imaginaries to which it gave rise in later decades"。 He worked towards an understanding of how this idea of what was selected as the time between 1900-1914 was created， to "account for the 'historical imagination' of a reconstructed past。" As the author says， History is always "shaping images of the past for its own needs"， and argues that the first few years of the 20th century were constructed starting with the years after the First World War， when the peaceful time before it happened was understandably missed - not only for the peace， but also because France was a major power in Europe and the concert of nations。Despite that， Kalifa says only around the 1930s the imaginary of this period would "prevail as a major motif in the nation's culture life"; he notes the many publications， songs， plays and movies that were created in this period， reimagining what life had been like in those golden years。 Around 1940， however， was when the expression "belle époque" "came definitively to designate what for a dozen years had been known as the 1900 era"， the time of "apogee of French power and French culture"。 The occupation of Paris by the nazis also supported this， with cultural productions matching the "clichés about France that circulated abroad" and served as distraction for the soldiers。After the Second World War ended， however， instead of dismissing the productions of the period of occupation， the Liberation "made its history more complicated and lifted it to new prestigious heights"。 This allowed the French to use the "belle époque" as a reference for the great times of France， during a period of "economic difficulties， shaken by the power of the Communist Party and by the demands of colonized peoples。"Kalifa then discusses the ways the expression "belle époque" was treated， changed and understood during the following decades， touching upon the subject of the exportation of this idea to many different countries， becoming disconnected from its Parisian origins。 He says that "the term remained focused on the turn from the nineteenth to the twentieth centuries"， but still became a "sort of cultural label with a rather broad significance。"Despite the term being taken from its context and marked by nostalgia from the decades that followed the wars， Kalifa argues that nostalgia is not "programmed falsification"， despite working as a way to reconstruct history instead of explaining it: "forms of knowledge are concealed in the folds of its reconstructions"。 He understands the "belle époque" not as a "dead" time， but a "living matter" that is dynamic and still connected to us， now， "since everything that constitutes our world seems to have appeared at that time"。 This was a wonderful book， with lots of cultural references and notes （the references took around 20% of the ebook）。 It ends with a postscript by Venita Datta， comparing briefly this "belle époque" with the "gilded age"， understanding both as essential for national identities （of France and the US）。 。。。more

Elisa ，

I’ve always loved Paris and specially the Belle Epoque。 I was pleasantly surprised to find that the definition that I had in my head for it was mostly correct。 What was unexpected was to learn how there isn’t one Belle Epoque， but that its definition can and has varied through time。 The author does a great job of explaining the historical context and cultural significance。 How it influenced literature， visual arts and even other countries。 How it’s been depicted in film and how many different pe I’ve always loved Paris and specially the Belle Epoque。 I was pleasantly surprised to find that the definition that I had in my head for it was mostly correct。 What was unexpected was to learn how there isn’t one Belle Epoque， but that its definition can and has varied through time。 The author does a great job of explaining the historical context and cultural significance。 How it influenced literature， visual arts and even other countries。 How it’s been depicted in film and how many different people have been influenced by it。 Reading the excepts of writings from the era， feels like traveling through time。 This is not only big History， but small histories。 How people lived their daily lives。 Some parts were a little dry for my taste， since I’m no historian， but mostly this was a fun book to read。 I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased。 Thank you， NetGalley/Columbia University Press！ 。。。more

Diane ，

This was an interesting book about one of my favorite periods of history， and seeing how it came by its name and the years by which the era was basically defined was intriguing。 However， the book's editing--I realize it was likely due to being an ARC and not the final editing--was terrible， with literally hundreds of errors， which really took away from my overall enjoyment of this book， which was a shame， considering it was the author's final publication。 This was an interesting book about one of my favorite periods of history， and seeing how it came by its name and the years by which the era was basically defined was intriguing。 However， the book's editing--I realize it was likely due to being an ARC and not the final editing--was terrible， with literally hundreds of errors， which really took away from my overall enjoyment of this book， which was a shame， considering it was the author's final publication。 。。。more

J Earl ，

In The Belle Epoque Dominique Kalifa not only illuminates the period itself but does so through the ways in which how the period was remembered and promoted。 This readily accessible book， thanks in large part to a wonderful translation by Susan Emanuel， will appeal to both the academic and the reader with an interest in the period and/or French history。As the subtitle states this is a cultural history， so texts and their reception are as important as simply recalling dates and events。 In fact， t In The Belle Epoque Dominique Kalifa not only illuminates the period itself but does so through the ways in which how the period was remembered and promoted。 This readily accessible book， thanks in large part to a wonderful translation by Susan Emanuel， will appeal to both the academic and the reader with an interest in the period and/or French history。As the subtitle states this is a cultural history， so texts and their reception are as important as simply recalling dates and events。 In fact， the book becomes ever more interesting as it moves further away from the period itself and shows how the idea of the period becomes both a salve and a tool for surviving tough times。 Then it becomes representative of something that expands from Paris to rural France and to other nations and their equivalent periods （Victorian England， Gilded Age in the US）。This should appeal to a wide readership with an interest in cultural history in general and French history in particular。 The writing is clear and easily accessible to most readers with such an interest。Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley。 。。。more

Vintagebooklvr ，

If you grab this book without reading the back blurb you might end up being surprised because this isn’t a history about the time period we now call the Belle Epoque but rather about when the idea of calling 1900-1914 in France， particularly Paris， came to be， why， and the connotations and interpretations of those times reflecting back on the Belle Epoque。 So if you are interested in intellectual history， this book is for you。 It is well written and researched。 I think that sometimes there is to If you grab this book without reading the back blurb you might end up being surprised because this isn’t a history about the time period we now call the Belle Epoque but rather about when the idea of calling 1900-1914 in France， particularly Paris， came to be， why， and the connotations and interpretations of those times reflecting back on the Belle Epoque。 So if you are interested in intellectual history， this book is for you。 It is well written and researched。 I think that sometimes there is too much evidence used to back up a particular argument—some parts go on a little too long—but it is well put together。 It is interesting to see how the ideas about the Belle Epoque changed and what different time periods got out of it。 Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Christine ，

If you've been to a postcard stand in France， you've seen Belle Epoque iconography。 The Can-Can， the Moulin Rouge， the turn of the century fashion with art and literature and Art Nouveau。 Even the Marseillaise and the Eiffel Tower belong to the great "BE" （although to be fair the Marseillaise is from the 18th century， but it got re-adopted as the French national anthem in the 1870s）。But why is this turn-of-the-century period so representative of "French Culture"？ Why not the French 1960s？ Or the If you've been to a postcard stand in France， you've seen Belle Epoque iconography。 The Can-Can， the Moulin Rouge， the turn of the century fashion with art and literature and Art Nouveau。 Even the Marseillaise and the Eiffel Tower belong to the great "BE" （although to be fair the Marseillaise is from the 18th century， but it got re-adopted as the French national anthem in the 1870s）。But why is this turn-of-the-century period so representative of "French Culture"？ Why not the French 1960s？ Or the height of Louis XIV's reign？ What makes the Belle Epoque so classic and iconic， not just in France but internationally？That's what Dominique Kalifa's "The Belle Epoque" looks at--not the period itself but how its aftermath shaped its legend。 The very term "belle epoque" （the beautiful era） connotes nostalgia and a better time。 The good old days。 And Kalifa， with his years of experience examining the Belle Epoque's cultural legacy， brings us the history behind the "belle epoque" marketing。 Did it start in 1900？ After World War I？ Or did it solidify in the immediate vicinity of the Occupation？ When did the French decide they needed something beautiful to call home？ Turns out it really was during the Occupation。 And it's not all as beautiful as it seems。Once the book is done examining when the legend took shape， Kalifa spills out its contents so we can look at what we kept from the so-called Belle Epoque: the clothes， the glamor， the art & literature。。。 The crime， too， not to mention that the "True Crime" culture we have today can be traced back to the sensationalist crime journalism and thriller novels of this golden era。 But what about the less glossy aspects of the "Epoque"？ We remember the Dreyfus affair， of course， but what did we leave behind？ And when did we go looking for it？If there's anyone you should trust when it comes to the study of the Belle Epoque， it's the late Dominique Kalifa。 And he makes this subject look easy when， really， it's a study of something nearly impossible to grasp: the creation of history， and how that creation adapts to its audience。 You'll inevitably learn a lot with this book， and you'll probably want to know more afterwards。 Luckily， Kalifa has more books， including another translated by the wonderful Susan Emanuel who captures Kalifa's voice perfectly for the English language。Recommended to history enthusiasts， Francophiles， and anyone who had one of those Sarah Bernhardt or Le Chat Noir posters on their wall in college。 If you fit into all three categories， this is a must-read。Thank you to Columbia University Press and Netgalley for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Dan ，

My thanks to NetGalley and Columbia University Press for an advanced copy of this new history book。 The late Dominique Kalifa's last book， The Belle Époque: A Cultural History， Paris and Beyond， translated by Susan Emanuel， seems to be at first glance a history of this storied time in France at the beginning of the 20th century。 It is not。 This book is more of an exploration and explanation of how a time and an era can be created in a present that seems darker， about a time where the arts， the p My thanks to NetGalley and Columbia University Press for an advanced copy of this new history book。 The late Dominique Kalifa's last book， The Belle Époque: A Cultural History， Paris and Beyond， translated by Susan Emanuel， seems to be at first glance a history of this storied time in France at the beginning of the 20th century。 It is not。 This book is more of an exploration and explanation of how a time and an era can be created in a present that seems darker， about a time where the arts， the people， even the cities of France seemed brighter and more alive。 Starting from where the term 'Belle Époque' even originated Kalifa flashes through time from years before the start of the century to well after World War I。 Memory plays apart， what was real and what was good at the time， to what the War left France as， weakened and unsure of its place in the world。 A familiarity with the history is helpful， but still this is a very interesting， book， about a time that seemed so gleaming， but might only have existed in nostalgia。 。。。more

Ekul ，

This book was received as an ARC by the publisher on NetGalley。Dominique Kalifa’s The Belle Époque: A Cultural History， Paris and Beyond is not at all what I expected it to be。 As such， it’s best that I start off this preface by saying what this book is not。 This is not an overview of the Belle Epoque （1890ish-1914， in traditional terms）， nor is it a cultural history of the years at hand。 Instead， Kalifa’s work fits better into the literature on historical memory。 Kalifa’s questions are not: wha This book was received as an ARC by the publisher on NetGalley。Dominique Kalifa’s The Belle Époque: A Cultural History， Paris and Beyond is not at all what I expected it to be。 As such， it’s best that I start off this preface by saying what this book is not。 This is not an overview of the Belle Epoque （1890ish-1914， in traditional terms）， nor is it a cultural history of the years at hand。 Instead， Kalifa’s work fits better into the literature on historical memory。 Kalifa’s questions are not: what happened during the Belle Epoque， how did those events occur， and why did they occur when they did？ Instead， Kalifa is asking: How did the “Belle Epoque” emerge as a coherent historical era， and how did the terms of that historical era change over time？Kalifa ultimately finds that the “Belle Epoque” as a coherent concept for fin-de-siècle Paris did not exist until the summer of 1940， just after France fell to German armies。 This is not to say that people did not use the term “Belle Epoque” prior， nor that the years of the Belle Epoque were like those after the First World War， especially the 1920s。 However， the “Belle Epoque” was instead framed as the “good old days” by middle-aged and elderly French citizens。 By being framed as an experience in personal terms， the turbulent politics of the time fell to the wayside and were supplanted by memories of rapid technological advancement， cultural boldness， and high society。 Interestingly， it appears that World War II had to happen for the idea of the Belle Epoque to take root， as it was heavily advertised to German soldiers and occupying authorities as something for them to take pleasure in。 While many of the most collaborationist entertainers faced punishment after Liberation in 1944， many of their ideas about the early 20th century continued to hold sway。The formalization of the Belle Epoque in France’s public memory also brought professional and cultural attention to the period。 Increasing numbers of historians began to work on the scholarship of the Belle Epoque in the 1950s and 1960s， and the postwar years saw a surge in the number of films that take place in the early 20th century。 At the same time， there was a surge of memoirs by public figures that dwelled on the period and the publication of numerous postcard albums with nostalgic writings。 As such， the so-called “Trente Glorieuses，” or the years between the end of World War II and the end of Georges Pompidou’s administration experienced the most stable， glorified conception of the Belle Epoque。One notable thing about ideas about the Belle Epoque until the mid-1970s was that it was a fundamentally Parisian affair。 However， the landscape of French historical scholarship changed in the 1970s and 1980s， with increasing numbers of studies emphasizing events and processes that took place outside of the capital。 While many of these examined provincial cities， others looked at small towns or whole provinces as units of analysis。 In doing so， historians developed a better idea of the “Belle Epoque” throughout the Hexagon。 Moreover， historians also took the time to look at the “dark side” of the Belle Epoque， including alcoholism， crime， a pervasive sense of anxiety， and more。 Our understanding shifted further in the 1990s and 2000s with the “globalization” of the Belle Epoque， to the point where the “Belle Epoque” is no longer a uniquely French phenomenon。 It is now common to speak of “Belle Epoque Austria，” for instance， and the Belle Epoque is frequently elided with the Gilded Age in the United States and the Victorian years in the United Kingdom。Ultimately， Kalifa’s text is an academic work that seeks to speak with other scholarly texts。 Although Kalifa does offer some language that suggests he wants this to be available for a wider audience， I’m not convinced that a non-French audience will find the work nearly as useful or interesting as the French themselves （or perhaps Belgians， who seem to commence the “Belle Epoque” in 1885， with the founding of the Congo Free State—yikes）。 Moreover， the rapid-fire discussion of films， works of literature， music， and other cultural phenomena from years past make the text a bit more inaccessible for those unfamiliar with those artifacts。That being said， Kalifa’s book is undeniably fascinating for those interested in both French historical memory and the Belle Epoque itself， especially graduate students。 。。。more

Jean-Luc ，

With The Belle Epoque the late Dominique Kalifa gave us a magnificent and very detailed portrait of France and its civilization from the tail-end of the 19th century to the beginning of WWI。 From its artistic avant gardes to its fledgling technological progresses （electricity， automobiles， filmmaking，。。etc。） Kalifa covers all the significant changes that profoundly altered all aspects of French society during the optimistic and peaceful years leading to the Grande Guerre。 But it's when the autho With The Belle Epoque the late Dominique Kalifa gave us a magnificent and very detailed portrait of France and its civilization from the tail-end of the 19th century to the beginning of WWI。 From its artistic avant gardes to its fledgling technological progresses （electricity， automobiles， filmmaking，。。etc。） Kalifa covers all the significant changes that profoundly altered all aspects of French society during the optimistic and peaceful years leading to the Grande Guerre。 But it's when the author starts to explain the notion of Belle Epoque and how it came to be used almost 20 years later that the book becomes really fascinating。 It was in 1940 on Radio Paris that it was heard in France for the first time after the Germans had started to occupy the country。 Kalifa explains with brio how the expression came to represent a longing for better times， times unfortunately gone， for a humiliated nation in "search of lost time" a nation looking back longingly and nostalgically at 15 years of peace， optimism and joie de vivre， and how la Belle Epoque and its images have influenced us overhere in France ever since。On a more personal level， I remembered while reading this captivating and very engrossing book that back in the late 70s I actually got into trouble in high school with one history professor because I couldn't conciliate Belle Epoque and Affaire Dreyfuss。 La Belle wasn't so beautiful after all。。。。。Mais ça c'est une autre histoire。。。Kudos to Ms。 Susan Emanuel for her wonderful translation and many thanks to Netgalley and Columbia University Press for the opportunity to read this wonderful book 。。。more

Reference

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The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Belle Époque: A Cultural History, Paris and Beyond&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0