When Paid Applauders Ruled the Paris Opera House
Professional applauders, collectively known as the “claque,” helped mold the tastes of an uncertain audience.
The Patron Saint of Bookstores
100 years ago, Sylvia Beach, the first publisher of James Joyce’s Ulysses, opened the doors to her legendary bookstore, Shakespeare & Co.
How the Paris Catacombs Solved a Cemetery Crisis
One of the most popular tourist destinations in Paris—the Catacombs—was started as a solution to the intrusion of death upon daily life.
Recreating Notre Dame
The famous Paris cathedral was built over many centuries, reflecting the growth and evolution of Paris itself.
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?
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.
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.
A Telephone Conversation with Malcolm X
This 1965 telephone conversation between Malcolm X and meeting organizers in Paris took place just weeks before his assassination.
“No Duty But That to Herself”: American Girls in Paris
The American GIrls' club was created not only to feed and house American girls in Paris in the 1890s