Paris in the Belle Époque
Paris in the Belle Époque was a period in the history of the city between the years 1871 to 1914, from the beginning of the Third French Republic until the First World War. It saw the construction of the Eiffel Tower, the Paris Métro, the completion of the Paris Opera, and the beginning of the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur on Montmartre. Three lavish "universal expositions" in 1878, 1889, and 1900 brought millions of visitors to Paris to sample the latest innovations in commerce, art, and technology. Paris was the scene of the first public projection of a motion picture, and the birthplace of the Ballets Russes, Impressionism, and Modern Art.
Paris in 1897 — Boulevard Montmartre by Camille Pissarro
Hôtel de Ville after it was burned by the Paris Commune (May 1871)
The walls of the Tuileries Palace after arson by the Paris Commune
Ruins of the Ministry of Finance on the Rue de Rivoli
The Belle Époque or La Belle Époque was a period of French and European history that began after the end of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871 and continued until the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Occurring during the era of the French Third Republic, it was a period characterised by optimism, enlightenment, regional peace, economic prosperity, colonial expansion, and technological, scientific, and cultural innovations. In this era of France's cultural and artistic climate, the arts markedly flourished, and numerous masterpieces of literature, music, theatre and visual art gained extensive recognition.
1900 World's Fair in Paris, France
Grand foyer of the Folies Bergère cabaret
Art Nouveau style coffee service in Meissen Porcelain, by Theodor Grust, 1902.
Europe during the Belle Époque (1911)