Le Bon Genre – Parisian Social Life in the Early 1800s
As I research potential blog posts, I often run across references to Le Bon Genre. Well, I’ve finally found the obscure book or, to be more accurate, series of prints illustrating Parisian social life in the early 1800s. I’ve posted about twenty images from the many in the document. If you are a Regency enthusiast, I highly recommend that you view the entire collection which is now public domain and online thanks to the wonderful, wonderful Bibliothèque Nationale de France.
Usually I try to restore the old images that I place on my blog. However, the Le Bon Genrepictures looked so fabulous that I didn’t do anything cosmetic to them.
Gallery of Victorian Men’s Fashion from 1837 – 1843 The following is a sampling of men’s fashion images in the years 1837 – 1843 from the French journal L’Élégant : Journal Des Tailleurs found in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. If you’re interested in seeing more images, please follow the journal link. Click on an image to enlarge it. ...
Parisian Manners and Fashion in the 1830s Today I’m excerpting from The Gentleman and Lady’s Book of Politeness and Propriety of Deportment: Dedicated to the Youth of Both Sexes by Elizabeth Celnart and translated from the Paris edition in 1833. The beautiful illustrations are from an 1836 issue of the famous French journal Le Bon Ton, which, oddly...
Victorian Life Hacks y family and I have been enjoying the Victorian Farm and Victorian Pharmacy BBC series on YouTube. We enjoy watching faux Victorians toil while munching on our microwaved popcorn from the comfort of our sofa. I’ve had the companion books to both series lying about for a year or two,...
Getting Presented to Queen Victoria, Paying Social Calls, and Riding Etiquette in the 1870s Today I am excerpting again from The Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s Etiquette: A Complete Manual of the Manners and Dress of American Society. Containing Forms of Letters, Invitations, Acceptances and Regrets. With a Copious Index published in 1877. I must be honest with you; I’m not particularly interested in the topics of...
Victorian Weddings: How To Get Married in the 1860s (and early 1870s) Guess what I researched today! The following information is excerpted from the British book Cassell’s Household Guide, published in 1869, and other sources as indicated. MATRIMONIAL ENGAGEMENTS, SETTLEMENTS, ETC. WITH the peculiar sympathy which attracts two persons to unite their hands and hearts, and to take each other “for better or...
Beautiful Actresses and Fashions from the Early 1920s Today I’m posting images of silent film actresses in fabulous clothes, which I found in the Library Of Congress archives. These photographs date between 1920 – 1925. However, it is possible that a few earlier images might have slipped in. Sadly, I had to crop out many of the photographs’...
The Sharp Dressed Victorian Man – Men’s Fashion in 1844 – Part I Today I was researching fashion for my upcoming December release Wicked Little Secrets which is set in London in the 1840s. I thought that over the next two days, I would share some lovely, er… I mean, handsome fashion images from the French journal L’Élégant : Journal Des Tailleurs found in...
Working Out the Early Victorian Way I came across this early Victorian wonderfulness today and had to share. The following can be found in Exercises for Ladies: Calculated to Preserve and Improve Beauty, and to Prevent and Correct Personal Defects, Inseparable from Constrained Or Careless Habits: Founded on Physiological Principles, by Donald Walker and published in...
Catching a Train in the Early Victorian Era I’ve been researching railroads for my Wicked series. Isn’t my life exciting! I thought I would excerpt some passages from The Railways of Great Britain and Ireland Practically Described and Illustrated published in 1842 that describe the railway carriages that my characters might take around England. Birmingham and Gloucester Railroad...
17 Replies to “Le Bon Genre – Parisian Social Life in the Early 1800s”
What great pictures!
What strikes me is how carefree they seem. Who was paying for this? 🙂
@Catherine Scott – I especially like the image of the lady going to paint and her old, weary servant having to carry the chair and ladder. Didn’t this country just have a revolution…
I’ve always loved Le Bon Genre images. So much fun. Thanks for giving us another place to find them.
Suzi Love
Thank you very much for presenting us the beautiful and humourus engravings of Le bon genre! I possess No 29 & 30 Le Lever des Grisettes & Le coucher des Grisettes. In light pastel tints. Tipycally Empire-style. And I think- al later impression of Les Titus et les Cache-folie in crazy colours!
Rob de Bree
@Rob — How lucky you are! I think these images are just gorgeous. I did wonder about the time frame. These were printed in 1827 ish (?) but the styles look much older. I love the vivid red in the images.
I love the kissing under an umbrella one 😀 .
I love that one too! So funny…
I have number 17 an 24 I am looking to get rid of them
How do I get more information on these. I have no.18 and would like to know the worth.
@Terri, I’m so sorry. I don’t know about their worth.
We have 4 of these prints that have been in the family for quite a while. They are actual prints that do not seem to have been taken from a book. Is there any way to tell when they were printed?
I’m sorry. I wish I knew. Good luck.
I have prints no.5, 84 and 85 in frames from the 1920’s. Also would like to know what they might be worth.
I have the black book LE BON GENRE a selection of 100 plates of the famous “Gazette DU BON GENRE”.
What great pictures!
What strikes me is how carefree they seem. Who was paying for this? 🙂
@Catherine Scott – I especially like the image of the lady going to paint and her old, weary servant having to carry the chair and ladder. Didn’t this country just have a revolution…
I’ve always loved Le Bon Genre images. So much fun. Thanks for giving us another place to find them.
Suzi Love
Thank you very much for presenting us the beautiful and humourus engravings of Le bon genre! I possess No 29 & 30 Le Lever des Grisettes & Le coucher des Grisettes. In light pastel tints. Tipycally Empire-style. And I think- al later impression of Les Titus et les Cache-folie in crazy colours!
Rob de Bree
@Rob — How lucky you are! I think these images are just gorgeous. I did wonder about the time frame. These were printed in 1827 ish (?) but the styles look much older. I love the vivid red in the images.
I love the kissing under an umbrella one 😀 .
I love that one too! So funny…
I have number 17 an 24 I am looking to get rid of them
How do I get more information on these. I have no.18 and would like to know the worth.
@Terri, I’m so sorry. I don’t know about their worth.
We have 4 of these prints that have been in the family for quite a while. They are actual prints that do not seem to have been taken from a book. Is there any way to tell when they were printed?
I’m sorry. I wish I knew. Good luck.
I have prints no.5, 84 and 85 in frames from the 1920’s. Also would like to know what they might be worth.
I have the black book LE BON GENRE a selection of 100 plates of the famous “Gazette DU BON GENRE”.
What would the complete book worth, roughly?
Sorry, I wouldn’t know:)