Cafe De Paris
Paris had many appeals for the expats of the 1920s. It had a liberal atmosphere for artists and attracted painters, poets, and writers from all over the world. It was cheap to live there, it was an exciting, beautiful city and there was no prohibition on alcohol. In the US, Prohibition (1920-1933) was in full swing and people would go to extremes to get a drink - including moving to another country - if you could afford it.
This fact is believed to have been responsible for many of the Americans in the "lost generation" to decide to come to Paris.
In A Moveable Feast, cafe society was the important meeting ground for Hemingway and his artist friends to meet their contemporaries, discuss their work, and drink until their money ran out.
Hi Paul,
ReplyDeleteIt's one the things that impressed me, not only in AMF but also in some other Hemingway's books: they really drink a lot.
Well, times sure were dfferent.
They sure did, Carlos ;-)
ReplyDeleteBut they also socialized a lot more, so there were more opportunities and occasions to imbibe.
Of course that was before the television, internet, blackberry...
You're right Isabella. I haven't thought about it, but now that you mention it... even in my twenties (I'm 40) it happened much more than today. It’s amazing to think that in the 80’s we only had 2 TV channels in Portugal. But... do you know something? We had good friends.
ReplyDeletebeautiful picture..reminded me of van Gogh's work titled A Midnight cafe.....
ReplyDeleteIt is an interesint picture and the narrative is interesting to read too. I remember when I was into art in a big way that I had a lot of books about artists and their lives and Hemmingway played an important role in their lives.
ReplyDeleteAbraham Lincoln
Brookville Daily Photo
The perfect manifesto in a perfect caption.
ReplyDeleteHiya Paul...this is so interesting and Paris even till today is really a nice place to chill out and just walk along the streets.
ReplyDeleteLovely post my dear fren :D
in a was it reminds me of Van Gogh's Café painting.
ReplyDeleteTo Moi & Zsolt, yes I know the Van Gogh painting you're talking about - but it is not a Paris cafe :) Provence, I think?
ReplyDeleteWell, fellow bloggers, all this while I thought we had curbed our drinking because we had become more virtuous. Instead, we are not as sociable and perhaps more boring?! ;=) Love the poster; posters are a wonderful art form.
ReplyDeleteHello Kate, yes & I can blog the art work without any copyright problems.
ReplyDeleteMOI! I was gonna say the same thing!
ReplyDeleteGMTA!
HEY PAULY!!!
MATCHES!!!!
;)
XOXOXO
I love your title.
ReplyDeleteAs a 20-something, I assure you, we're not ALL sober.
I will admit that we're not quite as picky about what we drink now. Nobody's been moving to other countries to get beverages... although there has been talk of doing so in order to taste absinthe.
Thanks Josy :)
ReplyDeleteNikon thanks!
ReplyDeleteFunny just yesterday I was checking the map for the Shakespeare and Co street and remembered you.
I'll take a photo there and will show it to you when I return from Paris mid August!
Monica, Hem's B-day is July 21st - if you're in Paris then, what a time to visit Shakespeare & Co. or The Lilas Cafe!
ReplyDeleteI hope that you have a great time.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNo it's not in Paris, It's in Arles, where he spent some time painting after he left Paris. Well, but this blog is about Hemingway ;)))
ReplyDeleteJust that the poster seemed to remind a few of us of the painting
And thanx for sharing the info about the number of lighthouses in RI.....we are headed there next :)
:o]
ReplyDeleteGood weekend for you too, Saul. I go to be in the Coast of Ivory, Senegal, Gâmbia and Guiné-Bissau until October. I go to be next to abandoned children. If I will have access to net sending you notice. I have all in my heart. Good bye
ReplyDeleteDavid Santos
I really, really want to go to Paris and sip wine while reading a Hemingway novel. :)
ReplyDeleteGood one Paul.
ReplyDeleteNow for the Brit. perspective: it was forever thus & still is. No prohibition in the UK, but one of the prime movers for 200,000 of my compatriots leaving every year is to find drinking holes (plus sun & sand, and sausage, egg, bacon & chips [french fries to you])that are loads cheaper. Paris, Lyons Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon they've never heard of. But they lay about/fall about & bloat in the beach resorts, massed in their ex-apt communities of clones, never contributing anything but money to the societies they invade, happily speaking only their Ingerlish & complaining about the 'foreigners'. Books? Reading? Writing?... Whassat? Yuuuggghhh!
Hiya Paul,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments over at my blog and hey I've dropped you an email at aol email address did you get it?
Take care.
Cheers
Shionge
fantastico...
ReplyDeleteAw thanks Pauly!
ReplyDeleteI'm feelin' better already...just hearing from you!
;)
xo
What a wonderful blog. I just found you via your comments on Isabella's blog. Love the Bergamo one too.
ReplyDeleteWill come back.
Jilly x
Menton DP and Monte Carlo DP.
YES!
ReplyDeleteAnd my SUDAFED!
GRRRRRRRRRRR!
But I'm going out for our "2-month" Ann'y tonite and NO ONE or NOTHING'S stopping ME!
LMAO!
;)
xo
They drank, they smoke, they had friends, ideas, and ideals! Does it seems so out of fashion?...
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, Paris will always be A Moveable Feast!
gmg, not that is out of fashion - I was trying to point out that prohibition in America probably made a lot of American artists to make the trip to Paris & to call it their home.
ReplyDeleteNo alcohol at home, so they drank a lot in Paris with their contemporaries.
Speaking of drinking, Hermingway's favorite drinks was Daiquiri, if I'm not mistaken? (googled through Wikipedia.) I love sipping strawberry daiquiri. It's one of my favorite, too. :)
ReplyDeleteI wish not agree on it. I over polite post. Specially the title-deed attracted me to read the sound story.
ReplyDeleteNice dispatch and this mail helped me alot in my college assignement. Thanks you on your information.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that you liked it!
ReplyDelete