Is it possible that the lesbian nightlife scene was better one hundred years ago than it is today? Or is it just that 1920s Paris is more appealing than the one permanent lesbian bar in London? Not that there’s anything wrong with that particular bar, but there’s only so much UK Top 40 that we can take.
A century ago, it wasn’t uncommon for Brits and Americans to journey to Paris for its vibrant, bohemian, and surprisingly queer, nightlife options during the interwar period. Salons were very popular: gatherings held by prominent figures in art, literature, design and photography, that would see creatives come together from across the globe to discuss ideas, to challenge and find solace in one another, to collaborate, and maybe even to fall in love. One of the most famous salons that swept Paris during the early twentieth century was run by extravagant lesbian poet, Natalie Clifford Barney.
