Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society Inside the Moulin Rouge
Apr 10, 2026
Mike Rapport, historian and author of City of Light, City of Shadows, offers a vivid mini-bio as a Belle Époque specialist. He explores why Paris became a cultural hub, the wild origins of the Moulin Rouge, its windmill symbol, elephant and donkey spectacles, the birth of the can-can, and how the venue shifted from raucous dancehall to commercial spectacle.
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Belle Époque Is A Postwar Romantic Myth
- The Belle Époque label was applied retrospectively after World War I to romanticize prewar decades as a 'beautiful age'.
- Dr Mike Rapport explains it spans roughly the 1880s to 1914 and masks deep anxieties about modernity and social change.
Haussmannization Made Paris The Modern City
- Paris became emblematic of modernity due to Haussmann's renovation, new boulevards, street lighting and emerging mass culture.
- Rapport links these physical and technological changes to Paris's reputation for fashion, science and bohemian life.
Cheap Rents Turned Montmartre Into An Artist Village
- Montmartre attracted artists because rents stayed cheap—Haussmann's works bypassed its steep hill—creating a cohesive village community.
- Rapport names residents like Picasso, Van Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec who lived or worked there.
