Herminie Cadolle, the anarchist who invented the bra [1/2]

It’s the story of a scissor cut that changed women’s lives. That of Herminie Cadolle, the creator of the bra. In 1889, she had the idea of ​​cutting a corset to liberate the female body. And Herminie Cadolle was not just a corset maker! Discover the story of this communard, pioneer of feminism in a new story in two parts by Virginie Girod. 

Herminie Cadolle was born in 1842 into a modest working-class family. Married at 18, she moved to Paris where she was employed as a vest and corset maker in a clothing workshop. Workers have almost no rights. His life changed during the war against Prussia in 1870. France was crushed, Paris was besieged. The time is no longer for sewing. The corset maker attends the women's vigilance committee of the 18th arrondissement, chaired by the famous Louise Michel! She and Herminie get along wonderfully, while the story accelerates.  

The new government of the Third Republic, already humiliated by defeat, moved to Versailles. This is the last straw for the Parisians, who refuse to capitulate. The Commune insurrection begins.  

Herminie joined the Union of Women for the Defense of Paris and Care of the Wounded, one of the very first feminist and workers' associations founded during the Commune. The latter is repressed in the blood. Herminie is arrested. These few months of detention did not change her taste for activism: she took care of welcoming the communards returning from prison in New Caledonia, was arrested again for having participated in a banned demonstration on the grave of a among them, Théophile Ferré. And she hasn't finished settling scores with the police. What she is about to do will have the effect of a bomb.  

A new story that Virginie Girod also tells you in the pages of Madame Figaro, on newsstands on March 29. https://madame.lefigaro.fr    

Themes covered: Franco-Prussian War, Paris commune, corset, Third Republic 

“At the heart of history” is a Europe 1 Studio podcast

- Presentation: Virginie Girod 

- Production: Caroline Garnier

- Director: Clément Ibrahim

- Composition of the original music: Julien Tharaud 

- Writing and Distribution: Nathan Laporte

- Communication: Marie Corpet

- Visual: Sidonie Mangin

Online Resources

https://www.francetvinfo.fr/replay-magazine/france-2/20h30-le-samedi/video-herminie-cadolle-communarde-et-feministe-presente-le-premier-soutien-gorge-al-exposition- universal-of-1889_4024163.html 

https://gallica.bnf.fr/blog/14022022/sens-dessus-deux-lhistoire-du-soutien-gorge-de-la-fin-du-xixeme-aux-annees-1950?mode=desktop 

https://www.retronews.fr/societe/echo-de-presse/2016/07/01/la-femme-qui-inventa-le-soutien-gorge-moderne 

https://www.commune1871.org/la-commune-de-paris/histoire-de-la-commune/illustres-communards/560-la-saga-familiale-des-cadolle 

https://www.cadolle.com/fr/content/14-notre-histoire