TOULOUSE
On certain dates, visitors can explore the exhibition ‘Ball at the Grand Hôtel: Entertainment in Toulouse during the Belle Époque’ in the company of its curator. A historian and author of the exhibition’s educational programme, he guides visitors through an in-depth exploration of the exhibition and sheds light on the transformations Toulouse underwent between 1871 and 1914.
Through the sets, artefacts and reconstructed spaces, this tour offers a better understanding of how technical progress, the development of transport, the boom in commerce and the emergence of new social venues gradually transformed life in Toulouse. Cafés, markets, department stores, gardens, ballrooms and even the railway station all bear witness to a society in flux and to new leisure activities.
The tour also invites visitors to look beyond the idealised image of the Belle Époque to discover the social realities and contrasts that characterised this period. Drawing on the collections, archives and historical research, the curator places the objects and locations on display in their context and explains the choices that guided the design of the exhibition route.
A unique opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the exhibition and discover Toulouse during the Belle Époque through the eyes of the historian who crafted its narrative.
