Engine of modernity Engine of Engine of Engine of modernity examines the connection between public modernity transportation and popular culture in nineteenth-century Paris by focussing on the omnibus – a horse-drawn vehicle for mass urban transport which enabled contact across lines of class and gender. A major The omnibus and urban culture advancement in urban locomotion, the omnibus generated innovations in social practices by compelling passengers of diverse backgrounds to in nineteenth-century Paris interact within the vehicle’s close confines. Although the omnibus itself did not actually have an engine, its arrival on the streets of Paris and in the pages of popular literature acted as a motor for a fundamental cultural shift in how people thought about the city, its social life, and its artistic representations. At the intersection of literary criticism and cultural history, Engine of modernity argues that for nineteenth-century French writers and artists, the omnibus was much more than a mode of transportation. It became a metaphor through which to explore evolving social dynamics of class Belenky and gender, meditate on the meaning of progress and change, and reflect on one’s own literary and artistic practices. Because of the book’s interdisciplinary approach and scope, Engine of modernity will appeal to scholars and students in a variety of academic fields, including French literature and culture, French and European history, urban studies, gender studies, and nineteenth-century visual culture. Masha Belenky is Associate Professor of French at the George Washington University Cover image: Camille Pissarro. Boulevard des Italiens, morning sunlight. 1897. Oil on canvas. Chester Dale Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC ISBN 978-1-5261-3859-0 9 781526 138590 www.manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk Masha Belenky Engine of modernity Series editors: Anna Barton, Andrew Smith Editorial board: David Amigoni, Isobel Armstrong, Philip Holden, Jerome McGann, Joanne Wilkes, Julia M. Wright Interventions: Rethinking the Nineteenth Century seeks to make a significant interven- tion into the critical narratives that dominate conventional and established understandings of nineteenth-century literature. Informed by the latest developments in criticism and the- ory the series provides a focus for how texts from the long nineteenth century, and more recent adaptations of them, revitalise our knowledge of and engagement with the period. It explores the radical possibilities offered by new methods, unexplored contexts and neglected authors and texts to re-map the literary-cultural landscape of the period and rigorously re-imagine its geographical and historical parameters. The series includes monographs, edited collections, and scholarly sourcebooks. Already published Spain in the nineteenth century: New essays on experiences of culture and society Andrew Ginger and Geraldine Lawless Creating character: Theories of nature and nurture in Victorian sensation fiction Helena Ifill Margaret Harkness: Writing social engagement 1880–1921 Flore Janssen and Lisa C. Robertson (eds) Richard Marsh, popular fiction and literary culture, 1890–1915: Re-reading the fin de siècle Victoria Margree, Daniel Orrells and Minna Vuohelainen (eds) Charlotte Brontë: Legacies and afterlives Amber K. Regis and Deborah Wynne (eds) The Great Exhibition, 1851: A sourcebook Jonathon Shears (ed.) Interventions: Rethinking the nineteenth century Andrew Smith and Anna Barton (eds) Counterfactual Romanticism Damian Walford Davies (ed.) Engine of modernity The omnibus and urban culture in nineteenth-century Paris Masha Belenky Manchester University Press Copyright © Masha Belenky 2019 The right of Masha Belenky to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. This electronic version of this book has been made freely available under a Creative Commons (CC-BY-NC-ND) licence which permits non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction provided the author and Manchester University Press are fully cited and no modifications or adaptations are made. Details of the licence can be viewed at: https://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/uk/ Published by Manchester University Press Altrincham Street, Manchester M1 7JA www.manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 978 1 5261 3859 0 hardback ISBN 978 1 5261 3860 6 open access First published 2019 The publisher has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for any external or third-party internet websites referred to in this book, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. Cover image: Camille Pissarro. Boulevard des Italiens, morning sunlight. 1897. Oil on canvas. Chester Dale Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC Typeset by Sunrise Setting Ltd, Brixham Contents List of plates vi List of figures vii Acknowledgements x Introduction 1 Part I: Omnibus literature in context 1 Modernity in motion: omnibus literature and popular culture in nineteenth-century Paris 35 2 Transitory tales: reading the omnibus repertoire 61 Part II: Class, gender and locomotion: social dynamics on the omnibus 3 Circulation and visibility: staging class aboard the omnibus 101 4 Moral geographies: women and public transport 133 Epilogue: final stop 165 Bibliography 169 Index 177 v Plates 1 Omnibus de la Companie des ‘Dames Blanches’. 1828. Bibliothèque historique de la ville de Paris/Roger-Viollet 2 Jeu des Omnibus et Dames Blanches. 1828. Board game. Bibliothèque nationale de France 3 Camille Pissarro, Boulevard des Italiens, soleil du matin. 1897 Oil on canvas. Chester Dale Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC 4 Victor Ratier, ‘Un banc d’Omnibus. Trois, six, et trois… huit, encore une place! serrez-vous, Messieurs et Dames!’. 1829. Bibliothèque nationale de France/Roger-Viollet 5 J. J. Grandville, ‘Comment, ces gens-là vont monter aussi? – Omnibus!! Madame!’, Les Métamorphoses du jour. 1828–29. Bibliothèques de Nancy 6 Victor Ratier, ‘Echantillons de mœurs Parisiennes. Un banc d’Omnibus de la Madelaine à la porte St Martin. Pour deux… Fait historique, dessiné d’après nature. Maris honnêtes garde à vous!’. 1829. Musée Carnavalet/Roger-Viollet 7 Maurice Delondre, En omnibus. 1880. Oil on canvas. Musée Carnavalet/Roger-Viollet 8 Mary Cassatt, En omnibus. 1890–91. Colour print. National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC vi Figures I.1 ‘Enterrement du dernier omnibus’. Agence Rol, 11 January 1913. Bibliothèque nationale de France 2 I.2 ‘Ordonnance sur l’établissement des voitures publiques dites omnibus’. 1828. Bibliothèque historique de la ville de Paris 14 I.3 Charles-Valentin Alkan, ‘Les Omnibus’, variation for piano in C major. 1828. Frontispiece. Author’s copy 16 I.4 Tableau synoptique de la circulation des omnibus à correspondances de Paris. 1840. Collection RATP 17 I.5 Plan de la ville de Paris représentant les nouvelles voitures publiques à 30 centimes la course. 1829. Bibliothèque historique de la ville de Paris 17 I.6 Honoré Daumier, ‘Le mauvais côté des nouveaux omnibus’. Le Charivari, 4 September 1856. Courtesy of the Robert D. Farber University Archives & Special Collections Department, Brandeis University 19 I.7 Honoré Daumier, ‘Quinze centimes un bain complet. parole, c’est pas payé! . .’. Le Charivari, 30 August 1856. Courtesy of the Robert D. Farber University Archives & Special Collections Department, Brandeis University 20 I.8 Honoré Daumier, ‘Commençant à trouver que l’impériale des omnibus n’est pas une invention aussi agréable qu’il se l’était d’abord imaginé’. Le Charivari, 10 February 1858. Corcoran Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC 21 I.9 Cham, ‘Les nouveaux omnibus du boulevard pendant l’hiver’. 1840 22 I.10 ‘L’enterrement de “la dernière” omnibus’. Excelsior, 12 January 1913. Bibliothèque nationale de France 23 I.11 ‘Feu l’Omnibus enterré joyeusement’. La Presse, 12 January 1913 24 I.12 Charles Vernier. ‘Entrée dans un omnibus, rue Notre-Dame de Lorette’. La Crinolonomanie. 1856. Bibliothèque nationale de France 27 vii Engine of modernity 1.1 M. Sahib, ‘L’intérieur d’un omnibus’. 1874. Bibliothèque historique de la ville de Paris 39 1.2 ‘Les cochers de fiacres aux prises avec ceux des omnibus’. c. 1830. Musée Carnavalet/Roger-Viollet 41 1.3 Jean Georges Frey, ‘Les Dames Blanches et le fiacre: Y-s-auront le tems d’engraisser nos chevaux!!!!!’. 1828. Musée Carnavalet/Roger-Viollet 42 2.1 Honoré Daumier, ‘–N’est-il pas vrai, brave turco, que vous préférez les Françaises aux Africaines? –Chut! . ma bonne. tu vois bien que tu vas le faire rougir!’. Le Charivari, 31 August 1859. Courtesy of the Robert D. Farber University Archives & Special Collections Department, Brandeis University 74 2.2 M. de Penne, ‘Le public des omnibus dans les bureaux de correspondence’. L’Illustration, 31 July 1868 77 2.3 Honoré Daumier, En omnibus. 1864. Daumier-Register 78 2.4 Honoré Daumier, ‘Une rencontre désagréable’. La Comédie humaine, 1843. Courtesy of the Robert D. Farber University Archives & Special Collections Department, Brandeis University 88 2.5 ‘Un mariage en omnibus’. 1882. Cover, sheet-music score. Author’s photo 90 2.6 ‘Mon voisin d’omnibus’. 1888. Cover, sheet-music score. Author’s photo 91 3.1 A. Darjou, ‘Actualités. – Oui Messieurs c’est quarte sous l’impériale; pour trois sous vous n’avez plus que le droit de suivre en courant’. n.d. Bibliothèque historique de la ville de Paris 103 3.2 Honoré Daumier, ‘Désolé, citoyenne, mais on ne reçoit pas de chien. –Aristocrate, va!’. 1848. Courtesy of the Robert D. Farber University Archives & Special Collections Department, Brandeis University 114 3.3 Gobert, ‘Intérieur d’un équipage de la petite propriété’. 1829. Bibliothèque historique de la ville de Paris 123 3.4 Honoré Daumier, ‘Madeleine-Bastille. Un zeste, un rien. et l’omnibus se trouve complet’. 1862. Courtesy of the Robert D. Farber University Archives & Special Collections Department, Brandeis University 124 3.5 Honoré Daumier, ‘Intérieur d’un omnibus.