HISTORY - BELLE ÉPOQUE menus on board COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE liners

In my last essay, HISTROY - BELLE ÉPOQUE on board COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE, I have written about the life during the BELLE ÉPOQUE on board the Tranatlantic liners of Cie. Gle. TRAMSATALNTIQUE and life ashore. Now I want to display some menu cards of the time and these liners.

by Earl of Cruise

BELLE ÉPOQUE menus on board COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE liners

LA CHAMPAGNE, 1886 - courtsey coloured by Daryl LeBlanc

BELLE ÉPOQUE and today have its parallels ... In BELLE ÉPOQUE we had all over the world some few super rich, in their majority not caring for the lifes of the subordinates, or lower classes. Despite some who thought and and began to push for social reforms, to better the lifes of the poor.

the greatest social reformers in Germany had been from the upper classes, as it was in other European countries. In France f.e. these social reforms started with Emporer Napoléon III., but slowed down in the Third Republic. Reformers and theorists came in those days most from the upper classes, as Henri de Saint-Simon. In Germany it was Prince Bismarck, the chancellor of Prussia and later of the Empire of the German, the Kaiserreich. His intention was to calm the poor masses, avoiding riots and such, but it caused internal peace in Germany, riots, labor disputes and strikes had been less than in other countries. During the Ruhr Strikes in the beginning of the reign of Kaiser Wilhelm II. he was not willing, despite pressed to, to shot down the riots with the Reichswehr: "My German soldiers don´t ever shoot my German pupil!" The working class got with these social laws, social security - health care, unemployment care and payments, pensions, free education ... thus creating a feeling of security and thus creating in the end more wealth for those at the lower end of the food chain, AND those at the upper end. Despite reforms and bettered lifes, it was a social must in Germany´s high society to be engaged for the poor and those who needed help.

Except for the irrational imperialism, colonialism and our country first, BELLE ÉPOQUE was an era of peace, optimism, technical, economic and cultural explosion.

And the upper classes cultivated their lifes with benefits, more elaborated, capricious, than for the lower classes, with polite manners, behaviour, table manners, etc. and luxurious products for their daily livings and food.

But displaying greed and rudeness in public, was considered as a no-go, and could cause social disgrace, as "un-classy" behaviour or manners.

Even small gatherings of the upper class turned into "state affair" like events, and diner parties turned into social events, where the host showed its best and the latest refineries.

Food became one of the "things" displaying the hosts social standing, as it was in historic times, but in BELLE ÉPOQUE combined with those manners we are lacking today.

What the upper class celebrated in private was celebrated in the Grand and Palace Hotels of BELLE ÉPOQUE, as well on board the liners, crossing the pond, especially on board the continental European liners. If they were not the supreme in technique, especially speed, but in cultured lifestyle and especially in food quality.

Salle à Manger on board LA CHAMPAGNE - courtsey The Freshwater and Marine Image Bank at the University of Washington

All following menu cards are for First Class

Menu Card of LA TOURAINE, November 1906, styled in ART NOUVEAU - own collection

Menu Card of LA BOURGOGNE, May 1889 - courtsey collection of Richard Arebalo

Menu Card of LA BRETAGNE, May 1888 - courtsey collection of Richard Arebalo

Menu Card of LA CHAMPAGNE, January 1900 - own collection

Menu Card of LA NORMANDIE, May 1890 - courtsey collection of Richard Arebalo

The social gathering on board, especially onboard a Transatlantic liner, needed more wardrobe, steamer trunk with items from the later BELLE ÉPOQUE - picture from one of my liner books

Reading these menues I get some appetite, for tasting and cooking these by myself ... and perhaps a cooking book.

I have to thank Richard Arebalo for his menu cards from his collection.

History - FRENCH LINE - COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE, a review - Part I

History - FRENCH LINE - COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE, a review - Part II Belle ÉPOQUE

History - German Greyhounds I

Innovation and CUNARD?

HISTORY - ss LA BOURGOGNE - Women and Children last
HISTROY - BELLE ÉPOQUE on board COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE

Ship ahoy and always a hand span water under the keel!

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