Category: France
Young Soldier Went to War at 14 and Deserted at 16
Charles F. Kavaney was not yet seventeen when military authorities placed him under guard in Hoboken, New Jersey. On one sleeve of his uniform were…
Bare-Legged Woman Startles London’s Financial District in 1919
In the summer of 1919, a young woman caused a minor sensation in London simply by walking through the financial district without stockings. At a…
Doctors Believed Cancer Could Linger in Houses and Infect New Residents
At the beginning of the 20th century, doctors were still trying to understand what caused cancer, and some of the theories now sound deeply unsettling….
Young Paris Women Flocked to Casinos as Officials Raised the Alarm
By midnight, the restaurants of Paris were beginning to empty, but for many young women, the night was only getting started. According to a 1929…
Woman’s Coin Toss to Organ Grinder Hid a Stolen Pin
The organ grinder outside the jeweler’s shop seemed like nothing more than an annoyance. A well-dressed woman had entered a Paris jewelry store and asked…
Grieving Mother Digs Up Son’s Bones and Flees Into the Woods
Some grief does not stay buried. In France, a destitute woman named Alice Gillet became so overcome by the thought of losing her dead son…
Severe Winter Sent Hungry Boar Onto Football Field in France
A football match in France took a strange turn when a hungry wild boar burst onto the field and sent players and spectators running. The…
Little Toms and Marie: A Curious French Wedding
Newspapers of the early 1900s often treated unusual lives as curiosities, framing disability, difference, and hardship in language that can feel jarring today. This brief…
