Identifier: bohemianparisoft01morr (find matches)
Title: Bohemian Paris of to-day
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors: Morrow, William Chambers, 1853-1923 Cucuel, Édouard
Subjects: Bohemianism
Publisher: Philadelphia, London, J.B. Lippincott company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
owered, but hegathered himself up and went with us to seats atthe nearest table. While we were doing this thehabitues of the place greeted us with this song, sung in chorus: Oh, la la! cte gueule—Cte binette.Oh, la la, cte gueule,Quil a. What are they saying? asked Mr. Thompkins ;but Bishop spared him by explaining that it was onlythe latest sono-. The room had a low ceiling crossed by heavybeams. Wrought-iron gas lamps gave a gloomylight upon the dark, time-browned color of the place.The beams were loaded with dust, cobwebs, andstains, the result of years of smoke and accumula-tion. Upon the walls were dozens of drawings bySteinlen, illustrating the poems of low life writtenby the proprietor of the cafe ; for we were in the denof the famous Aristide Bruant, the poet of the gutter,—Verlaine had a higher place as the poet of theslums. There were also drawings by Cheret, Willett,and others, and some clever sketches in oil ; the whole effect was artistic. In one corner was an old 286
Text Appearing After Image:
IN ARISTIDE BRUANT'S CABARET
A NIGHT ON MONTMARTRE fireplace, rich in carvings of grotesque heads andfigures, grilled iron-work, and shining copper vessels.The general impression was of a mediaeval gun-room. Near the fireplace, upon a low platform, was apiano; grouped about it were four typical Bohe-mians of lower Bohemia ; they wore loads of hair ;their faces had a dissipated look, their fingers wereheavily stained by cigarettes ; they wore beards andneglige black cravats. These were all minor poets,and they took their turn in singing or reciting theirown compositions, afterwards making a tour of thecrowded tables with a tin cup and collecting the sousupon which they lived, and roundly cursing those whorefused to contribute. Bishop was so delighted with the pictures on thewalls that he proceeded to examine them, but thebully with the stick thundered,— Sit down ! and shook his bludgeon menacingly.Bishop sat down. Then the brute swaggered up to us and de-manded,— What the devil do you want to drink, anyway?Spe

Note About Images