Iva Polansky

The Victorian Paris blog has informed and entertained readers since 2011. The illustrated posts collected in the book deal with every aspect of life in the French capital during the rise and fall of the Second Empire as well as the Belle Époque. Meet the movers and the shakers, discover the dark alleys of Paris where sin lured and gangs ruled, learn about the food (not always good). Follow the ordinary Parisian bourgeois in his daily routine and meet colorful Bohemian characters. Read what the wide-eyed British and American tourists thought of the city and its special inhabitants: the romantic grisettes, the predatory gigolettes, the formidable Apaches, and other Parisian fauna. Americans began to visit Paris in the mid-century, when sea-travel became more comfortable and, after absorbing the inevitable culture shock, many fell in love with the city. They’ll tell you about it in this book. (Publisher)… (mehr)