Gezicht op de Bains des Catalans te Marseille 1862 - 1876

Jean Andrieu made this photograph of the Bains des Catalans in Marseille at an unknown date. This image offers insight into leisure and health practices of the 19th century. Bathing establishments such as this one were increasingly popular as part of a broader cultural emphasis on hygiene and physical well-being, particularly among the middle and upper classes. The architecture itself—a covered structure extending into the water—reflects a desire to create a controlled and private bathing environment. Marseille, as a major port city in France, played a crucial role in trade and cultural exchange. The Bains des Catalans, would have been a social space where different classes and cultures could converge. It is interesting to consider the ways in which the design and management of the space might have been shaped by social norms around privacy, gender, and class. By researching period accounts, architectural plans, and social histories of Marseille, one can appreciate how sites like the Bains des Catalans contributed to the making of modern social life.