In Mexico during the 19th century, French influences were evident in the nation’s capital. This article examines how French acculturation marked a transcendental historical milestone for Mexico City.
Mexico’s 19th century was plagued by political dissensions and warlike confrontations, both internal and external. However, it is also true that after the emancipation from the Spanish yoke in 1821, the doors were opened to foreign trade and immigration, factors that contributed to the transformation of that nascent society. Towards the end of the century, Porfirio Díaz took French culture and customs as a model, which at that time were the epitome of modernity, to cement his government of “order and progress”. In the capital, this process left its mark in areas such as architecture and, in general, in the lifestyle of a certain elite that frequented the very large department stores and used expressions such as grand magasin and bon vivant.
Regarding these commercial establishments, Bertha Patricia Martínez Gutiérrez, in her work “El Palacio de Hierro, arranque de la modernidad arquitectónica en la Ciudad de México”, points out:
“The idea of this commercial prototype was associated with modernity in the urban and architectural aspect, because of the vanguard of its buildings; in the social aspect, because for the first time women went out alone on the street for a non-religious activity; and in the commercial aspect, because of the diversity of articles and novelties that were offered there (from harmonicas to tools, including fabrics, dresses, furniture and glassware).”
These stores resorted to advertising to promote “the need to consume merchandise that was not a priority for subsistence, but rather products that alluded to luxury, distinction and social differentiation”, according to Cristina Sánchez Parra in “La publicidad de las tiendas por departamentos de la Ciudad de México en los albores del siglo xx” (Advertising in Mexico City’s department stores at the dawn of the 20th century). Hence, when reviewing nineteenth-century newspapers in the Hemeroteca Nacional Digital de México, one appreciates the everyday use of certain French words, perhaps in the same way we use English today: parfumerie, eau de quinine, elixir dentifrice, parfum, bouquet, jaquettes, bonbons, vins et liqueurs. Terms denoting non-essential items. Likewise, in addition to the grands magasins, the capital was also the site of other establishments that had an influence on the country’s history, such as some pastry shops.
The War of the Cakes
In the twilight of the 19th century, a seemingly trivial incident triggered a conflict of unsuspected proportions between Mexico and France. The spark that ignited the fire was an altercation in the pastry shop of Monsieur Remontel, located in Tacubaya, towards the end of the 1830s.
According to Rafael F. Muñoz in 1899, that night, a group of officers, intoxicated by the revelry, burst into the establishment and, ignoring the protests of the owner, whom they locked in his own room, proceeded to devour every dessert and sweetened snack they found in their path, regardless of the layers of cream and jam that covered them.
While this episode of unbridled gluttony might seem anecdotal, the truth is that it set off a chain of events that led to the first French intervention in Mexican territory, known as the Pastry War.
Although the details of this conflict are beyond the scope of this story, it is worth noting that at that time, Mexico City’s Historic Center was home to other renowned pastry shops, whose owners were also French, such as the widow of Genin, establishments that played an equally relevant role in the history of the country.
Genin’s Widow’s Bakery
The capital city lacked a formal space for financial transactions towards the end of the 19th century. At that time, business related to contracts, investments, real estate, insurance sales, currency exchange and imports were conducted informally in various places, including the streets. However, it was in a bakery that this activity was formalized.
This history is documented in the Museo de la Bolsa (MUBO, located at Paseo de la Reforma 255) and in the book “Cien años de la Bolsa de Valores en México: 1894-1994” (One Hundred Years of the Mexican Stock Exchange: 1894-1994). According to the latter, around 1880, the stock market boom gained momentum due to the increase in foreign investment and the emergence of mining and industrial companies equipped with the technical advances of the time.
At that time, Plateros (now Madero) Street was a common place for financial activities. There, at the initiative of the secretary of the Gas Company, a group of people met in an office to negotiate shares. However, it was another place that stood out: the Dulcería y pastelería de la viuda de Genin, owned by Filomena Mayeu (originally from Belgium), located at Plateros 8 on the corner of Espiritu Santo (today Madero and Isabel la Católica). This establishment became a meeting point for literati, politicians and businessmen, mainly French and Catalans, who also traded various stocks.
Although the use of the bakery as a stock exchange center evidenced the need for a stable location for such activity, it was not until 1894 that the Bolsa Nacional was created as an organized and regulated trading center, established at Plateros number 9, in order to generate confidence among investors. Subsequently, it merged with another group and in 1895 the Mexican Stock Exchange was created at the same location. Finally, in 1908, the Mexican Stock Exchange was inaugurated on 5 de Mayo Street.
The Alliance française
Let me share some fascinating details about the Alliance Française and its presence in Mexico. In 1883, illustrious figures such as the visionary Jules Verne and the pioneer Louis Pasteur founded this organization in Paris with the objective of spreading the French language and culture. In a short period of time, between 1883 and 1886, the Alliance Française extended its reach, establishing branches in cosmopolitan cities such as Alexandria, Constantinople, London, Prague, Rio de Janeiro and Shanghai. Mexico was no exception, and in 1884, barely a year after its birth, the Alliance Française put down roots in Mexico City, becoming one of the first branches outside France.
As the 20th century progressed, the Alliance Française in the Mexican capital prospered. In its early days, its home was on Palma Street, where it remained until the early 1960s. The records of the Mexico City Historical Archive reveal that, at that time, the Alliance Française resided at 44 Fourth Street Palma. In 1918, Xavier Roustand and Bernard Vincent held the positions of president and secretary, respectively, and their signatures are found on a document requesting permission to hold a photographic exhibition at the emblematic El zafiro store, located on the corner of Madero and Palma Streets.
This exhibition had a poignant purpose: to show “photographic views sent by the photographic section of the French army” and to organize a charity raffle with the same, whose funds will go to support the Alliance Française and the victims of the war. A gesture that reflected the spirit of solidarity and the commitment of this institution to its homeland and the local community.
Although there are still more stories to tell about the French imprint in Mexico City, for now I bid you farewell by inviting you to walk the streets of the Historic Center with a curious glance upward. You will discover architectural gems with a Gallic touch, such as the emblematic Gran Hotel de México.
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