Urban Desires: Practicing Pleasure in the 'City of Light,' 1848-1900 by Andrew Israel Ross A ...

309 Pages·2011·5.14 MB·English

by  Andrew Ross

Urban Desires: Practicing Pleasure in the ‘City of Light,’ 1848-1900

by

Andrew Israel Ross

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
(History)
in The University of Michigan
2011

Doctoral Committee:

Associate Professor Joshua H. Cole, Chair
Professor Kathleen M. Canning
Professor David Caron
Professor Scott D. Spector
© Andrew Israel Ross
2011
In memory of Marcella Katz

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Acknowledgements

This project relied on the generous financial support of the University of
Michigan Department of History, Rackham Graduate School, and the Georges Lurcy
Charitable and Educational Trust. Middlebury College provided financial aid that
allowed me to attend their Summer Language Institute. The wonderful teachers at
Middlebury helped me develop the skills necessary to navigating the French archives
with minimal embarrassment. The staffs at the Archives de la préfecture de police, the
Archives nationales de France, the Archives de Paris, the Bibliothèque nationale de
France, and the Bibliothèque historique de la ville de Paris all provided invaluable
assistance.
I have relied on the support of friends and family throughout this process.
Jennifer Butterfield has been a dear friend since elementary school and has watched me
progress from first grade to my doctorate. Kristyna Comer and Lucy Biederman have
both inspired me through their art; their talent is equaled only by their generosity. Philip
Herd, Daniel Humphrey, Sarah Williams, Nenad Simonovic, Kaya Burgess, and
Thuvaraka and Jon Ware have all remained some of my dearest friends since my study
abroad at Oxford. My yearly trip to London in order to visit is always the highlight of the
year.
A series of amazing teachers shaped my development into a historian. I was
fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Steven Hause at Washington University.
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Steve taught my first history course and introduced me to both French history and
women’s history and he has continued to provide support as I progressed through
graduate school. It was extremely gratifying to see his friendly face in the audience as I
presented my first paper to the Society for French Historical Studies. While at Wash U,
Elyane Dezon-Jones encouraged my interest in French literature as well as the
development of a more mature political and feminist consciousness. At Oxford, tutorials
with Geoffrey Ellis, John Robertson, and Anna Maria Misra proved foundational as I
began my own course of study. They taught me how to read analytically – and quickly –
and introduced to me the sheer variety of approaches available to historians.
The scholarly community at the University of Michigan has been very good to me
these past six years. Dena Goodman taught my first graduate seminar in French history.
She introduced me to cultural history and pushed me to think about my preconceptions.
Dena is a critical reader and my writing is better for it. Geoff Eley and Jay Cook helped
orient my own approach to cultural history in a seminar in historical methods. Jay also
served on my preliminary exam committee and encouraged my interest in cultural
studies. David Halperin introduced me to the varieties of LGBT studies. His strong
defense of history in the field of queer studies has inspired my own intervention in the
history of sexuality. Michele Hannoosh, Jarrod Hayes, Michele Mitchell, and Helmut
Puff all provided intellectual stimulation during my graduate studies. In addition, my
graduate school cohort became not just a group of colleagues, but good friends. David
Trout, Aaron Cavin, Millington Lockwood, Ken Garner, and Ray Patton not only do
inspiring work, but also are important sources of intellectual and emotional support.
Kithika St. John changed my life. Her humor, intelligence, sarcasm, and warmth all
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made coursework and prelims manageable. Ela Gezen has been a constant presence these
past few years, whether during an unexpected hospital visit or a lunch companion. Her
constant willingness to indulge my neuroses kept me sane. Johannes Burmeister is a
constant source of amusement and well-deserved cynicism. Suzi Linsley and Kirsten
Leng have been constant sources of feedback, especially since returning from France.
They made Ann Arbor a fine place to write.
My time in Paris benefited from the experience of new friends and acquaintances.
Jennifer Solheim became one of my closest friends while we were both doing research.
She grounded me while in Paris, made sure I knew her haunts, and introduced me to new
friends. Jessica Fripp took up a similar role when she (finally) arrived in the city. My
Harry Potter buddy, Jessica is also always there to sound off on. Bryant Ragan was also
kind enough to meet with me in Paris and provide advice as I developed the project.
Régis Revenin and Michael Sibalis provided early guidance in navigating the archives.
Vanessa Schwartz introduced me to her students and provided initial input as I developed
the project. François Brunet rented me an apartment and helped me settle in during my
first stay in Paris. Malika Rahal was not only my landlord for a year and a half, but my
French partner, colleague, and friend. Finally, Catherine Clark, Melissa Dean, Elisa
Foster, Saphir Grici, Brian Jacobson, Tyson Leuchter, Jacob Lewis, Maxime Maujean,
Carolyn Purnell, and Casey Schneider-Mizell all provided companionship, fun, and
intellectual stimulation while abroad.
This project has benefited greatly from the input of those who read parts of it as it
developed. I thank the members of my readings groups for all of their valuable input. In
addition, Johannes Burmeister, Jessica Fripp, Ken Garner, Ela Gezen, David Halperin,
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and Kithika St. John all read pieces of this work. I especially thank Kirsten Leng,
Jennifer Solheim, and Suzi Linsley for reading the dissertation almost in its entirety. I
also thank the many comments I received when I presented parts of this work at
conferences and for the feedback from the anonymous reviewers at the Berkeley Journal
of Sociology.
Finally, this work owes more to my committee than I can possibly say. David
Caron has done so much more than most cognate members of a dissertation committee.
He has provided invaluable comments and, most important of all, sustained
encouragement and enthusiasm. Scott Spector has provided me with support from the
beginning. His sense of humor is always refreshing and his insights always spot on.
Kathleen Canning served as my first advisor in graduate school and also introduced me to
the methods of gender history. Her work has been a source of constant inspiration.
Joshua Cole has been just about the ideal advisor as one can imagine. From the
moment he began teaching his graduate seminars, through my preliminary exams, and
now the dissertation he has provided support, constructive criticism, and encouragement.
His willingness to do anything and everything to ensure this work was accomplished
means a great deal. My career owes everything to his constant support.
Finally, my family. My Aunt Sandy’s love of history apparently proved
infectious. My sister Michelle is a constant encouragement and inspiration. She’s always
there when I need an escape to the big city; her Chicago apartment has been my own
vacation spot these past few years. My parents encouraged me in whatever I wanted to
do. Although they still sometimes describe this dissertation as a “paper,” they have
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always supported my goals, shown interest in the work, and encouraged me when things
seemed difficult.
My grandmother, Marcella Katz, was the strongest person I have ever known.
She unfortunately passed away before I entered graduate school, but I have a feeling she
would have gotten a kick out of the project. I dedicate this work to her memory.

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Table of Contents

Dedication…………………………………………………………………………………ii
Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………iii
List of Figures…………………………………………………………………………….ix
List of Abbreviations……………………………………………………………………..xi
Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………..xii
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..1
Chapter 1: Transforming Paris:
Social Order, Sexuality and the Modern City……………………………………29

Chapter 2: Streetwalking the Boulevards of Paris:
Urban Life and the Emergence of a Public Sexual Culture……………………...85

Chapter 3: Defending the Neighborhood: Public Sexuality and the Bourgeois City…..126
Chapter 4: “Le plus drôle de mélange qui soit dans Paris”:
Sex, Commerce and Spaces of Sociability……………………………………..175

Chapter 5: Creating Spaces of Pleasure:
Public Urinals and Same-Sex Sexual Activity.....................................................229

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………...267
Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………274

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List of Figures
Figure 1.1: Honoré Daumier. Le gamin de Paris aux Tuileries. Le Charivari,
4 March 1848 (From the Bibliothèque nationale de France:
http://expositions.bnf.fr/daumier/grand/079.htm)……………………………......68

Figure 1.2: Edouard Manet, La Musique aux Tuileries (1862). Oil on Canvas.
National Gallery, London (From Wikimedia Commons: http://commons.
wikimedia.org /wiki/File:Manet_-_Musique_aux_Tuileries_rep.jpg)…………...75

Figure 4.1: Edouard Manet, Bal masqué à l’Opéra (1873). Oil on Canvas.
National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. (From Wikimedia Commons
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edouard_Manet_093.jpg)…………..219

Figure 5.1: Charles Marville, “Urinal of 8 stalls, cast iron and slate, with screen
of shrubbery, jardin des Champs-Elysées, around 1870. Paris
(8th arrondissement) [Urinoir à 8 stalles, fonte et ardoise, avec
écran d'arbustes, jardin des Champs-Elysées, vers 1870. Paris
(VIIIème arr.)].” Paris, musée Carnavalet. © Charles Marville /
Musée Carnavalet / Roger-Viollet (From Paris en images:
http://www.parisenimages.fr/fr/popup-photo.html?photo=26215-1)………….241

Figure 5.2: Charles Marville, “Urinal, iron and masonry, with one stall,
rue du Faubourg Saint-Martin. Paris (10th arrondissement),
around 1870 [Urinoir, fonte et maçonnerie, à une stalle, rue du
Faubourg Saint-Martin. Paris (Xème arr.), vers 1870].” Paris,
musée Carnavalet. © Charles Marville / Musée Carnavalet /
Roger-Viollet. (From Paris en images: http://www.parisenimages.fr/fr/popup-
photo.html?photo=26218-1)……………………………………………………242

Figure 5.3: Société Parisienne de Publicité. Plan for Lighted Public Urinals,
1897. Archives de Paris, VO3 419. (Personal photograph)…………………..243

Figure 5.4: Charles Marville, “Urinal of 6 stalls in slate, rue Rambuteau,
at the corner of rue Baltard. Paris (1st arrondissement, 1876).
[Urinoir à 6 stalles en ardoise, rue Rambuteau, à l'angle de la rue
Baltard. Paris (Ier arr.), 1876.]” Paris, musée Carnavalet. © Charles
Marville / Musée Carnavalet / Roger-Viollet (Paris en images:
http://www.parisenimages.fr/fr/popup-photo.html?photo=26212-1)…………..244

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