In Pursuit of Modernity: Paris in the 1850s and 1860s
After Events
in 1848, French journalist, the first to call himself an “anarchist” and
coined the phrase “property is theft,” Peirre Joseph Proudhon wrote “We have
been beaten and humiliated…scattered, imprisoned, disarmed, and gagged. The
fate of European democracy has slipped from our hands.”
He said that because political
and moral idealism had been overcome and the only thing that remained was the
prosperity of the bourgeoisie lifestyle.
 |
| Pierre Joseph Proudhon http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Portrait_of_Pierre_Joseph_Proudhon_1865.jpg |
The Bourgeoisie was a class that was concerned about property values.
With
bourgeoisie lifestyle came physical embodiments like Haussmann Grands
Boulevards, this is where the greatest wealth of the city was and the best
shopping
 |
| Grands boulevards http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2393/2347622352_ffa2459b7d.jpg |
Edward King
visited Paris and in his memoir the Paris Exposition of 1867 described the grand boulevards: “The
boulevards are now par excellence the social centre of Paris. Here the
aristocrat comes to lounge, and the stranger to gaze. Here trade intrudes only
to gratify the luxurious…On the grands boulevards you find porcelains,
perfumery, bronzes, carpets, furs, mirrors, the furnishings of travel, the copy
of Gerome’s latest picture, the last daring caricature in the most popular
journal, the most aristocratic beer, and the best flavored coffee.” In other words this was the place to be!
The Grands
Boulevards were the work of the Baron George’s Eugene Haussmann, he was
appointed by Emperor Louis-Napoleon to supervise the planning of the
modernization of Paris by destroying the old city and rebuilding it anew. The process
of rebuilding came to be known as Haussmannization.
 |
| Baron Georges Eugene Haussmann http://www.cremeriedeparis.com/cremerie/baron-haussmann.jpg |
George’s Eugene Haussmann and Emperor Louis-Napoleon wanted to make Paris the
most beautiful city in the world. And indeed they did, Paris is a very beautiful city!
Their changes to Paris not only
resulted in a beautiful city but it improved housing sanitation and increased traffic flow. The
renovation also helped to prevent the possibility that out of control street
riots lead to revolutions.
Sayre, Henry
M. Discovering the Humanities: Second
Edition. 2010. Textbook.
No comments:
Post a Comment