Cabaret des Assassins pre1875
Cabaret des Assassins (Club of the Assassins)
A house built on the upper part of Montmartre just on the outskirts of Paris would go down in history as a Hashish landmark…
Built in 1795, the family home has been the backdrop for Hashishin lore. In 1860 when Montmartre was officially made part of the Paris suburbs, the home was already in use as a hostile. A hangout for the fringe of society the hostile was registered as ‘Rendez-vous des voleurs’ or Meeting spot of the Thieves.
By 1869 the hostile had a reputation for a certain clientele, Hashishins… Changing from a hostile to a club or bar the business also changed its name. The Cabaret des Assassins was born…
outside the Cabaret des Assassins pre1875
The name choice for the Club of the Assassin’s could have originated in the artwork adorning its walls inside. Some of the many artworks represented famous assassins such as Ravaillac, who in 1610 assassinated King Henri IV. Or another of Troppmann, of Alsatian origin, who in 1869 assassinated six members of the Kinck family, he was guillotined a very short time after the clubs opening on January 19, 1870…
Interior of the Cabaret des Assassins
But to the patrons that frequented the Cabaret des Assassins it was known to have a very different meaning… The House of the Hashish Smokers…
Original Club des Hashischins members such as Charles Baudelaire would call this bar home, only furthering the legend to the title of the House of the Hashish Smokers…
In 1879 the Cabaret des Assassin’s was sold. The new owner wanted to leave the rough reputation behind and asked a artist named André Gill to paint a new sign for the bar. Given free reign to paint whatever he felt like, he painted a rabbit dressed in a green frock coat and a red scarf balancing a bottle of wine escaping from a pot intended for him.
Rabbit to Gill painting on the Lapin Agile by André Gill
The new club would open as the ‘Rabbit to Gill’ named for Andre’s painting which still exist today. The bar would quickly be changed to the Lapin Agile, the name which the building is still known by to this day in Paris.
The Hashish landmark would serve as the meeting place for artist and bohemians wanting to relax with like minds for decades. Hashish legends like Baudelaire mixed with artist like Van Gogh, Renoir and Picasso who became a regular and artwork still adorns the walls…
Caretaker Father Frédé playing his guitar inside the Lapin agile, 1905
At 22 rue des Saules in Paris, France, a little piece of Hashish legend still stands. With a visit to the Lapin Agile, you can actually walk in the steps of the Hashischins that came before…
Present day Lapin Agile, Paris