New Books Network The Club: Where American Artists Found Refuge in Belle Epoque Paris
Apr 2, 2026
Jennifer Dasal, curator, art historian, and podcast creator, uncovers The American Girls' Club in Belle Époque Paris. She traces its founders, the club’s cozy residential life, and how it sheltered ambitious American women painters. Stories include rubbing shoulders with Rodin, trading art for meals, and the club’s role in launching careers and activism.
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Founders Created A Safe Home For Women Artists
- The American Girls Club began after Helen Newell and Elizabeth Mills Reed noticed female art students lacked safe, affordable support in Paris.
- They transformed a small tea-and-library idea into a residential club in 1893 that housed 20–30 rooms and offered meals and services.
Small Reading Room Evolved Into Full Residence
- The club scaled from a modest reading room to a full residence because demand and practical student needs outgrew the original concept.
- Elizabeth Mills Reed leased an 18th-century former boarding school near Montparnasse and added a restaurant, tea room, matron, and long- and short-term rooms.
Modest Neighborhood Hid A Welcoming Interior
- The club's Montparnasse location was initially seedy but strategically placed near art shops and academies, making it presciently useful.
- Inside the plain exterior, women found a beautifully furnished interior courtyard, garden, and calm safe spaces that sustained morale.
