Okay, I was informed that there was some debate about the 1889 Exposition Universelle, and as someone who’s been researching French colonial history for three years, I have a little bit to say.

At the people saying BIPOCs weren’t at the 1889 Exposition Universelle, the whole extravaganza was about showcasing the glory of the French Empire, including its “Civilising Mission.” Some privileged BIPOCs attended as guests and contributed to the building of the pavilions.

It wasn’t a great time. Not for everyone. There were darker sides to that World Fair, tainted by the time period‘s politics. But BIPOCs were the centre of that exhibition. Denying that is, quite frankly, odd.

There were Human Zoos, showcasing of ”salvaged” (aka stolen) treasures. And the Empire’s wealth was largely attributed to its success w/ colonialism. The Fair was heaped with colonial propaganda. But a BIPOC writing a story set in the time period is reclamation of our dignity.

La Belle Époque in French history is a bittersweet time period, but it precedes one of its darkest eras (the world war) and that has altered people’s perspectives. It wasn’t called the Beautiful Era until soldiers were reminiscing peace in the trenches.

In saying that, Hist-Fic is Fiction first. But we do have a responsibility to clarify things we’ve altered for the sake of storytelling. Because in a world where history is taught so little and people forget, we have a duty to pass on the most accurate information we can.