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Another development which characterized
the bourgeoisification of Paris was the appearance of department
stores, arcades, galleries, and other shopping venues. The
architects of these buildings utilized
revolutions in steel and glass technology to create spaces
uniquely modern, and especially appealing to the bourgeoisie,
who now had the time and money to enjoy the luxury of leisure.
Perhaps the most famous of the shopping districts was the
Champs-Elysées,
which during the 18th and 19th centuries became famous for
its restaurants, shops, and theaters. |
The image to the right is an advertisement for "A
Pygmalion", a department store founded in 1793. It
was known as a novelties shop, which was typical of department
stores at the time. Novelties shops, and hence department
store, were aimed at the female bourgeois clientele and
sold clothing, jewelry, and fabrics which had recently appeared
on the market.
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A department store on Rue Saint Denis
(Click to see a larger version)
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The Gallerie Colbert.
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The image to the left is a drawing by René-Jacques
of the Gallerie Colbert, a department store in Paris in 1835.
The people depicted, from their clothes, are probably of the
grand or middle bourgeoisie. The gas
light allowed shoppers to stay after dark, and the glass
ceiling gave the illusion of outdoor shopping, which Parisians
were more used to.
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By providing upper bourgeois a safe, clean,
and attractive place to shop, department stores and other
modern shopping venues took advantage of the bourgeoisification
of Paris.
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