Princess Yolande de Broglie-Revel

Getting around

Train vendors moved between carriages via footboards

Traveling by train was often an adventure, with vendors known as swallows selling goods like perfume and cognac while moving between compartments via exterior footboards.

What it cost

Rising Bread Prices 1910–1925

The price of a kilogram of bread in Paris rose from 0.39 francs in 1910 to 1.58 francs by 1925.

What people wore

Casual attire for French servants

In contrast to the rigid uniform requirements seen in Britain, French domestic servants in the 1920s often wore their own clothes covered by a simple apron. Many servants felt sartorially integrated into the crowd of ordinary female workers rather than distinguished by a specific house uniform.

Music

Traditional and modern dances

Traditional dances like the bourrée and rigadoon were passed down through generations, while new international styles like the tango, fox trot, and Charleston became widespread favorites during the interwar period. At family gatherings, elders often performed traditional dances while young people watched.

Daily life

Memorable daily life details

A household helper, or femme de ménage, could be hired in Paris for six sous per hour, while well-to-do families identified the gender of their babies by using red ribbons for boys and blue for girls on the nurse's cap.