L'embellie parisienne à la Belle Époque : l'invention d'un modèle de consommation - article ; n°1 ; vol.47, pg 42-57

Vingtième Siècle. Revue d'histoire - Année 1995 - Volume 47 - Numéro 1 - Pages 42-57
The Paris Belle Epoque lull: inventing a consumption model, François Caron.
The economic dynamism of Paris at the time of the Belle Epoque was based both on the development of sectors linked to the second industrialization (electricity, the chemical industry, automobiles) and to the renewal of traditional industries (the garment industry, cosmetics, jewelry) centered on luxury goods and benefiting from a skilled workforce. The rise of factories located in the suburbs led to the reorganization of urban space around these new activities. The progress of hygiene and the development of mass transportation paralleled the general rise of standards of living and increasing access to comfort. With the spread of movies, leisure activities, travel as well as fashion thanks to the departement stores, this dynamism brought about a deep change in consumption habits. It was also fortered by a dynamic entrepreneurial class capable of responding to demand by adapting production and distribution techniques to the social diversity of Paris. Contrary to the pessimistic vision of a blocked society, a Paris model of industrial achievement thus developed, marking the entry of the capital into the consumption society, and an example to the other metropolises of the industrialized world.
16 pages
Source : Persée ; Ministère de la jeunesse, de l’éducation nationale et de la recherche, Direction de l’enseignement supérieur, Sous-direction des bibliothèques et de la documentation.