Une image raffinée et avant-gardiste de la station thermale : Le sport féminin à vichy (1875-1914)

Abstract

At the end of the 19th Century, the practice of sport takes an increasing place in worldly pleasures of the female clientele in the spa town of Vichy. Not only spectators, women take an active part in various activities such as pigeon shooting, cycling, lawn-tennis, golf and rowing. They find in sport an original way to fill their leisure time and perhaps to emancipate. The analysis of journalistic documents which report about life in the station demonstrate this participation. The notion of woman at sport has been confirmed over the years in this valued holiday place. Indeed the scene of woman at sport does not remain unnoticed in everyday life of Vichy spa. In this context it is rapidly taken advantage of this new behaviour : to show woman at sport becomes a valuable vein for Vichy spa managers. It is demonstrated by this study that this participation of woman was in the news and brought additional publicity for Vichy spa.