I Queue, Therefore I Am: Splendeurs et Misères of Waiting in Line in Nineteenth-Century Paris*

During the second half of the nineteenth century, visual and textual representations of Parisian individuals voluntarily queuing for entertainment gained popularity in France. Manifestly, a queue is a simple means to generate the order and efficiency imperative in an overpopulated, industrialized, and thriving metropolis. Yet, I argue, rather than simply externalizing a gap between supply and demand, queuing for entertainment became a form of recreation, and lining up became an end in itself, with its own intrinsic rewards and satisfactions. As the anticipated goal in images of queueing is, in fact, an imaginary event, the sense of spectacle and excitement derives entirely from the line’s structure, length, and human characteristics of age, gender, and social standing. By denoting status through the availability of free time and disposable income, queues for entertainment became autonomous marks for consumption; the longer the wait, the better the end goal must be.