While watching a striptease at 4Play Lounge, your mind may wonder as how this all came about. When did watching women take their clothes off become entertainment? Where did it all start? Is it so different from the strip clubs of today? In strip clubs across the world, stripping has been a popular form of entertainment for men and women for the last two centuries, but the first public striptease happened in Paris.
Ecoles Des Beaux-Arts
This was the most prestigious art school in France back in the 1890s. Students would flock to the school to study many of the arts, including architecture, sculpture, painting and engraving. Due to it being an art school, the students were typically flamboyant, dressing in outlandish and provocative clothes to ensure they were both seen and heard.
The Bal des Quart’z’Arts
Literally translated as ‘The Ball of the Four Arts’, this event took place every year at the Elysee Montmartre, where students were able to express themselves as a way of rebelling against the conservative administration. The ball started on a very small scale and the only people invited tended to be models. Even though they were celebrating ‘art’, the ladies often stripped off for the other partygoers, calling the erotic stripteases ‘high art’.
Moulin Rouge
By 1893, the ball had evolved into a much bigger and more lavish affair. It was no longer just students who attended. At this particular ball, there were also dancers, artists, theatre and art critics, as well as models and students. The main event featured the models and students dressed as mythological and historical figures, a spectacle in itself. Then a young lady by the name of Sarah Brown entered, dressed as Cleopatra. She was being carried by a throng of men dressed only in loincloths, much to the astonishment of the crowd. Once on stage, Sarah began a striptease along with the other models. The crowd was captivated by this unusual and delightful display and the news spread throughout Paris.
Prosecution
Unfortunately, news of the night’s events reached Rene Berenger, an anti-vice leader and founder of the League for the Prevention of Public Licentiousness. He immediately insisted the activities were investigated and Sarah Brown, along with three other models were fined for public indecency.
Riots
The day after the verdict was reached, thousands of students marched in protest through the streets of Paris to Berenger’s house. During the protest, sympathisers joined in and threw glasses at police officers. Tragically, the officer threw one back and struck Antoine-Felix Nuger, who collapsed unconscious and died the following day. The rioting continued for four days, with much property damaged and the streets left in disarray.
Success
Berenger’s moral crusade spectacularly backfired, with many in support of the students and the apparent ‘debauchery’. The ‘Bal des Quart’z’Arts’ continued every year well into the 19th Century, the Parisians accepting the ‘erotic antics’ and, for the most part, celebrating the ritual displays of fantasy and eroticism.
At 4Play Lounge, you can get to see our dancers dressed up and performing a classic Burlesque striptease. Join us and get transported back to the 1800s and the first striptease in France!
