MFL

The Boulevard du Crime: Criminal Parisian Theatres 🎭

Contrary to what its name suggests, the Boulevard du Crime was not at all crime ridden. This nickname was given to the Boulevard du Temple in Paris because of the numerous crime melodramas that were shown every night in its many theatres. In fact, it was one of the most popular places in Paris: around 20,000 people would come to the thoroughfare every night to walk, sing, laugh, and watch the wide range of theatre on offer. Think of it like a 19th century French Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

The Boulevard follows the path of the Parisian city wall constructed by Charles V and later demolished by Louis XIV. Aside from its theatrical importance, it boasts a rich and varied history. In 1782, Philippe Curtius (tutor to Madame Tussaud in wax modeling) opened his second exhibition on the Boulevard. Giuseppe Fieschi attempted to kill the king Louis-Philippe on the Boulevard in July 1835 and, though his mission was unsuccessful, 18 people were killed and 23 injured in the process. A few years later, Louis Daguerre took a photograph of the street, which turned out to be the first ever to show a person.

💡 Things to consider

• So melodramatic, darling: From the later 18th century to the July Monarchy in 1830, the Boulevard was popular and fashionable. Many venues attracted a diverse range of Parisians looking for escapist entertainment. This is where melodramas came in: they portrayed the struggles towards the end of the Industrial Revolution – addiction, orphanhood, prostitution – in a way that spoke to the French public. In fact, sometimes audience members reacted in intense and violent ways, throwing rotten fruit at actors that they’d bought from fruit sellers in the Boulevard. How did the Boulevard help change the elitist nature of theatre, then? Does this answer change when considering the violence that the lower-class audiences participated in?

  

  A skirmish outside the entrance to the Ambigu-Comique theatre for a free performance, by Louis-Léopold Boilly (1819).

• Haussman and destruction: Despite its rich theatrical history, the Boulevard is perhaps most famous for the loss of its theatres during Baron Haussman’s rebuilding of Paris in 1862. Of the dozens of theatres found on the Boulevard in the 19th century, only the Théâtre Déjazet remains today. We’ve seen that the Boulevard du Crime might have contributed to widening the appeal of theatre beyond the elites – so how might this destruction have undone that?

• Artist impressions: There are dozens of paintings of the Boulevard du Crime – one need only type ‘Boulevard du Crime’ into Google to find many of them! Why do you think this is? And do this artist impressions counteract the destruction of the Boulevard’s theatres by Haussman? Can theatre live on in other forms of art?

  

  A view of the Theatre de l’Ambigu Comique Paris, 1830, Giuseppe Canella

🔎 Find out more

• More on Louis Daguerre

🍒 The cherry on top

• 🔥 Venus: As the hottest planet in our solar system, Venus is the source of fascination for many scientists. As technology advances and research grows, our understanding of this hostile planet is increasing year after year. Watch this video if you’re interested in Physics or Astronomy.

• 🗣️ Accent bias: Do people discriminate against you based on your accent? What stereotypes do we hold about certain accents? Accent Bias Britain is a research group studying the link between accent and discrimination. This is a fantastic resource if you are interested in English Language, Linguistics, or Sociology!

• 🕸️ The Fibonacci Sequence: If you are studying Maths, you have msot likely come across the Fibonacci Sequence and the Golden Ratio. But do you know just how much you come across them in real life every day? Check out this video if you are into Maths.

👀 Keep your eyes peeled for…

• 21st October:

  • Sheffield Data Science Webinar

  • UEA Politics Webinar

• 22nd October:

  • Oxford History Teacher Workshop

  • Sheffield Urban Studies Webinar

• 23rd October:

  • Mansfield College Oxford Webinar for Care Experienced Students

  • Sheffield International Relations Webinar

  • Sheffield Orthoptics Webinar

  • Sheffield Biomedical Engineering Webinar

  • Sheffield East Asian Studies Webinar

  • UEA English Literature Webinar

• 26th October:

  • Oxford History History of Art Webinar

🗳️ Poll