Le Chabanais

Le Chabanais was one of the best known and most luxurious brothels in Paris, operating near the Louvre at 12 rue Chabanais from 1878 until 1946, when brothels were outlawed in France. It was founded by the Irish-born Madame Kelly, who was closely acquainted with several members at the Jockey-Club de Paris. Among the habituées were Edward VII, Prince of Wales; Toulouse-Lautrec; Cary Grant; Humphrey Bogart, Mae West and diplomatic guests of the French government.

The brothel, famous enough to warrant mentioning in the 7-volume Nouveau Larousse illustré encyclopaedia of 1904, was founded by the Irish-born Madame Kelly (real name - Alexandrine Joannet (or possibly Jouannet)), who was closely associated with several members at the prestigious Jockey-Club de Paris. She sold shares in the profitable business to wealthy anonymous investors. The total cost of the establishment was reported to be the exorbitant sum of 1.7 million francs. The entrance hall was designed as a bare stone cave; the bedrooms were lavishly decorated, many in their own style: Moorish, Hindu, Japanese, Pompeii and Louis XVI. The Japanese room won a design prize at the 1900 World Fair in Paris. Madame Kelly died in 1899.

In the mid-1920s, Le Chabanais was overtaken by the One Two Two () as the top luxury brothel in Paris.

During the World War II German occupation of France, twenty top Paris brothels, including Le Chabanais, Le Sphinx, One-Two-Two, La Fleur blanche(), La rue des Moulins, and Chez Marguerite, were reserved by the Wehrmacht for German officers and collaborating Frenchmen. The brothels flourished and Hermann Göring visited Le Chabanais, as is related in the 2009 two-volume book 1940–1945 Années Erotiques by Patrick Buisson.

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