author
Charles Virmaître
1835–1903
Best known for vivid books about old Paris, this 19th-century French writer explored the city's slang, street life, and hidden corners with a reporter's eye. His work mixes history, journalism, and the colorful voices of everyday people.
1 Audiobook
Dictionnaire d'argot fin-de-siècle
by Charles Virmaître
About the author
Born in Paris in 1835 and dying there in 1903, Charles Virmaître was a French historian, journalist, and lexicographer. He is especially associated with writing about Paris, including its popular speech, social margins, and everyday customs.
His best-known works include Dictionnaire d'argot fin-de-siècle and a series of books on Parisian life. Rather than offering polished literary portraits, he tended to collect details, anecdotes, and language from the street, which gives his writing a lively documentary feel.
Virmaître remains interesting today for readers who enjoy urban history and the texture of 19th-century city life. His books can be blunt and sensational at times, but they also preserve a rich record of how Paris sounded, looked, and talked in his era.