The Story Behind “The Parisian Water-Carrier”
Who was the "Parisian water-carrier" depicted in eighteenth-century French sculptor Edme Bouchardon’s sketches, and how did he earn his living?
Jeanne Moreau and the Birth of Cool
The French actress Jeanne Moreau worked with directors Truffaut, Duras, Buñuel, Renoir, Antonioni, Fassbinder, and Orson Welles.
Why Hot Air Balloons Never Really (Ahem) Took Off
More than two centuries after the invention of ballooning, Steve Fossett became the first person to solo circumnavigate the world in a balloon.
What Makes a Glass House the Ideal Home for a Communist Gynecologist?
Paris’s Maison de Verre is a marvel of modernist architecture whose rarely seen interior was constructed to foster sociality.
Thank Minitel for the French Election
Minitel gave the French a very specific experience of the digital realm, compared with other places where networked information arrived via the internet.
Foreign Intervention… in the American Revolution
Foreign powers have been interfering in our politics since day one, when we welcomed it from France, Spain, and the Netherlands.
What Madame Bovary Revealed About the Freedom of the Press
Gustave Flaubert was put on trial for obscenity. Why didn't he fight government censorship harder?
A Short History of Paris for Travelers
Read up on some of the fascinating history of the City of Lights before you head off on your next romantic vacation.
The Surprising Historical Significance of Fortune-Telling
The possible futures predicted by fortune-telling happen just often enough to tantalize, preying on our deepest aspirations of catching a "big break."
The Political Power of Marie Antoinette’s Hair
With the help of a French hairdresser, Marie Antoinette embarked on what initially appeared to be a happily fated alliance between the Habsburgs and the Bourbons.