Savoir Fer
Iron Objects in fin-de-siècle France
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21728534 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sara Phenix (Brigham Young University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue | 3-4 |
| Pages | 278-297 |
| Publication date | 2024-10-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Dix-Neuf (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1478-7318 • E-ISSN: 1478-7342 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/14787318.2025.2468559 |
| OpenAlex | W4411488140 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 6 |
This essay investigates the discursive intersection of various iron objects in fin-de-siècle France: the Eiffel Tower, the metal-boned corset, the anaemia tonic Fer Bravais, and the cannons on display at the 1889 Exposition Universelle. The confluence of these objects occurs in the contemporary discourse about dénatalité – the demographic disaster of France’s depressed birth rate after the Franco-Prussian War. Dress reformers and medical experts claimed that the corset was the culprit behind depopulation because it compressed and compromised the maternal belly. The iron objects here thus form a matrix that connects the discourses of fashion, medicine, and national security
Art · Composite material · Fin · Fin de siecle · Humanities · Diverse Cultural and Historical Studies · French Literature and Poetry · Literature and Culture Studies · Materials Science
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |