Des Américaines
à Paris 1850-1920 by Gérard Bonal is another intriguing book by Editions Tallandier.
A big impact in french culture and vice-versa has had the American community in France and in particular in Paris.
Why choosing first of all Paris during that decades and century?
When, at first, the first and wealthy Americans afforded to Paris it was mainly because the capital of France could give them the best in terms of universities, in particular medicine, or school of arts, still not yet too defined in the young USA.
Not only: in the USA people breathed a lot of puritan spirit and sometimes it was not so accepted when people were creatives and when they desired to breath a different kind of freedom without to being judged; just the idea of express themselves helped the American community to embrace Paris.
As the author remarks, these people found freedom, every kind of freedom in Paris. Artistic, individual, sexual, developing also a best identity of the self. Yes, Paris was also choosen by all that homosexuals that in their land could not express their identity. In Paris in this sense l'amour was intended in the largest meaning and lesbians and gays were largely appreciated. Not only: Paris was also the cultural center of the world, thanks also to the arrival of so many other brains of a completely different continent.
The same William Butler Yeats remarked the concept writing that "From Paris we have seen all the biggest artistic and literaries influences." In Paris during that period you could meet wonderful painters, dancers, writers, and many more creatives all excited by the idea of demonstrating their talent, and the idea of a best future thanks also to the good influence of Paris in their existence.
Paris sometimes was a phase in the existence of these people; sometimes a place where they spent their entire existence or most of it. Let's think at Gertrude Stein and her companion Toklas. The book will give a large coverage at this influential woman. Substantially Stein created several important creatives like Pablo Picasso, a sort of obsession to her, but also Ernest Hemingway. Let's remember that the idea of giving up his activity of journalism was mainly dictated by Stein and her ideas regarding the future of the beloved writer.
Augusta Klumpke will be one of the main character analyzed in the book and it will be the first female of working in an hospital. The first women, you will see also other portraits of American girls studying medicines were mainly bullied by their young boys, colleagues of faculty. A prestigious Boston's journal, the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal remarked that women had not to study medicine, because « nerveux ou excitable », les femmes ne sont « pas taillées » pour ce métier. This topic, this work needed a mind and a body completelu different. The one of a man.
Women were still seen as pretty moody creatures.
Dorothea the sister of Augusta later became at La Sorbonne the first female Astronomer.
Various chapters will be dedicated at Edith Wharton in Paris when the first World War started and the idea of an American Hostels for people in need. These destinies, as writes Bonal created a new energy at the cultural way of Paris during the XX century.
The first ones, long biographies, plenty of anedocts, of affording to Paris were Emma Hart Willard and Elizabeth Blackwell. The first one was a teacher with clear ideas regarding education. She founded a school only for females in the USA. At the age of 43, paying a pretty expensive ticket, thanks to a ship and a long trip, a voyage long more than 40 days, she afforded to Paris. Oh: it was a shocking, wonderful discovery. She described the Cathedral of Rouen as a "Feeling so sublime, too much intense for a human soul."
Elizabeth Blackwell was born in Cincinnati and was searching for good schools. Miss Blackwell thought that predjoudices regarding a work were too silly and she became a doctor. You will read her history: she made a lot of sacrifices but she became one of the most known obstetrician of the time, keeping proud her adoptive country, France and the USA.
Another story was created by painters. Mary Cassat was 7 years when at first arrived in Paris. Although studied later in the USA arts she thought that visiting Europe was indispensible (I agree), and she left the USA for Paris although she left behind angry parents.
Mary spent most of her time in the Louvre, she joined Paul-Constant Soyer at the Atelier de formation artistique. She discovered most of Europe, Italy, Spain appreciating Nipponic art. Anne Gould was a very rich lady and her story I am sure will intrigue you a lot like also the one of Mary Plummer. In particular the second history is symbolic of the end of a marriage. Georges Clemenceau and Mary Plummer started their wedding very well. Just... As often happens Clemenceau had a wonderful career and Mary was kept in a beautiful place, taking good care of her babies, all alone and profoundly unsatisfied. The involvement of children in this story remains pretty shocking.
When Mary died this one an extract of the letter sent to the brother of Mary by Clemenceau: "« Ton ex-belle-sœur a fini de souffrir. Aucun de ses enfants n’était là... » "Your beautiful-once sister ended her sufferances. No one of her children are with her..."
Anna Klumpke, in Paris for serious reasons, painter of portraits and Rosa Bonheur is absorbing like also the one of other wealthy ladies. Beautiful the biography of Winnaretta Singer, daughter of mr Singer and later a french Princess, precisely a Polignac.
Absolutely stunning is the portrait of Romaine Brooks, born Béatrice Romaine Goddard; this lady will marry mr Brooks intending to keep their wedding unconsumed. After a while they divorced and at the end she discovered a different freedom with a different last name. Mrs. Brooks appreciated Paris but also Italy, Capri, where stayed various times feeling all the times she was there a profound change into herself and her feelings for this sunny place. Sometimes she researched places where to stay where there was less happiness, more grey, like London exactly as her soul was, but Capri remained in her heart as one of the best place visited and where she stayed with more joy.
One of her most important and profound friendship was with D'Annunzio when the so-called Vate was in London. To everyone Brooks became Cinerina.
These ones some of the names of people afforded to Paris in the early XX to Barney and his book Memoirs of a European American.
Lucie Delarue-Mardrus, Colette et son deuxième mari,Henry de Jouvenel, Élisabeth de Clermont-Tonnerre, Jeanne Galzy, Guillaume Apollinaire, Jean Denoël, Germaine Beaumont, André Rouveyre, Aman-Jean, Rainer Maria Rilke, Paul Valéry, Joseph-Charles Mardrus, le traducteur des Mille et Une Nuits, Dolly Wilde, the nephew of Oscar, Milosz, Ezra Pound, Jean Cocteau, René Crevel, Francis de Miomandre, Robert d’Humières, translator of Ryduard Kipling, Édouard de Max, Berthe Bady, Raymond Duncan, Pierre Benoît, Marie-Laure de Noailles, Mme Catulle Mendès, Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, André Gide, Sylvia Beach, Adrienne Monnier…
Beautifully attracting, I highly recommend to everyone this book.
I thank Editions Tallandier for the copy of this book.
Anna Maria Polidori
