L’ÉLYSÉE MONTMARTRE : 2 CENTURIES OF HISTORY
This entertainment venue is steeped in history. It was created during the Napoleonic Empire and played a major role in the colourful and exciting world of 19th century Parisian entertainment, marked by a passion for dance, a taste for dressing to the nines and bohemian lifestyle.
1807 : A COUNTRYSIDE BALL
The Elysée Montmartre opened its doors and welcomed the public at the foot of the Montmartre Butte (Hill), in a vast delightful garden, lined with fountains.
During the Second Empire “The Stormy Tulip”, a choreography in which the dancer raises her skirts up to to her head while spinning around, is all the rage, the Cancan is born!
 1870
Louise Michel |
THE VENUE IS CONVERTED INTO A HOSPITAL, WORKSHOP AND ‘CLUB ROUGE’
After the war breaks out against Prussia, the Elysée Montmartre becomes a war
hospital. The photographer Nadar took over the Elysée Montmartre to manufacture post balloons in order to keep up communication with the world outside Paris.
There are many ‘club rouges’, where people meet to discuss the ideology linked to the Commune: the renowned Louise Michel chaired the club at the Elysée Montmartre.
1878 ZOLA & L’ASSOMMOIR (7th novel by Zola)
The great Emile Zola, dressed in his sombre black suit, stumbled upon the perfect place of perdition, where his heroine Nana, in L’Assommoir, would drive the Parisian gentlemen wild when they spied her “bloomers”.
1882 LA GOULUE & TOULOUSE-LAUTREC
It was on the Elysée Montmartre dancefloor that a deliciously sensual dancer reinvented the cancan.
Her name was Louise Weber and she was sixteen years old. She was known by all as La Goulue, (The Glutton) because she had a formidable habit of throwing back customers’ drinks in one shot. It was here that La Goulue ran into Toulouse-Lautrec who was a fervent regular. Impressed as he was with the dancers and night-lifers, Lautrec goes on to sketch his world famous paintings of the Parisian dancers and demi-mondaines.
A l’Elysee Montmartre, 1888 – Henri De Toulouse Lautrec
LE TRIANON, EIFFEL AND THE 1st FIRE
The garden is sized down in order to build a new space: Le Trianon. In 1899, Edouard Niermans, a pupil of Charles Garnier and architect of the Negresco Hotel in Nice, recycled the structure created by Gustave Eiffel for the French Pavilion at the 1889 Universal Exhibition. Unfortunately, during the night of 17-18 February 1900, a fire broke out.
1902 LE TRIANON & L’ELYSEE MONTMARTRE
Two separately standing, but linked theatres were rebuilt and fitted out. At Le Trianon, Joseph Cassien-Bernard, another pupil of Charles Garnier and designer of the Pont Alexandre-III, was commissioned to do the reconstruction. On 18 December 1902, an elegant “Italian-style theatre” with 1,000 seats opened. Songwriters and operettas were part and parcel of the décor.
At the Elysée Montmartre, it was party night every night. The very fashionable Art Nouveau style volutes of Horta and Guimard are chosen by Niermans to decorate the facade.
BOXING AND THEATRE AT THE ELYSEE MONTMARTRE
Several fights are held that would shine the light on the Elysée Montmartre from 1949 to the 1970s: boxing and wrestling fights are broadcasted every week on French TV.
Around this now (in)famous ring, many well loved shows were staged. Show producers on the lookout for venues with an underground spirit were keen to book the Elysée Montmartre. Avant garde type shows such as ‘Oh Calcutta!’ proved very popular here in the 70s.
HISTORICAL MONUMENTS AND CONCERT VENUE
Venue was classified as Historic Monuments.
In the 90s and 2000s, the Elysée Montmartre became a must-go-to concert hall, honouring both French stars, as well as the world famous stars in town on tour: David Bowie, Daft Punk, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beastie Boys, The Ramones, Cindy Lauper, Alain Bashung
2011: FIRE AT L’ELYSÉE MONTMARTRE
The fire that broke out during that terrible night left significant material damage, but at the top of the façade, fortunately the ‘dancer bas-relief’ is intact. The mythical Elysée Montmartre Hall was in direct danger of disappearing forever, and with it more than two centuries of unforgettable balls, parties and concerts…
2016 : THE RENAISSANCE OF THE ELYSEE MONTMARTRE
The interior, like the façade, was restored in collaboration with Bâtiments de France, (the official state architectural team).
After 5 years of closure, including 2 years of work, the hall reopened its doors on 15 September 2016, with mega star -M-, (Matthieu Chedid) headlining the massively sought out show.
