The Moulin Rouge’s red windmill recalls the many windmills that once crowned Montmartre’s hill. Opened in 1889, the cabaret became a stage for popular dance, nightlife, and a visual image of modern Paris.
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The red windmill is a deliberate nod to a landscape that has largely disappeared. Montmartre’s hill once carried numerous working windmills, and the Moulin Rouge’s name and sign preserve that memory in a new, theatrical form.
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- Joseph Oller and Charles Zidler opened the Moulin Rouge in 1889.
- The venue’s first quadrille réaliste became known internationally as the French cancan.
- Montmartre’s historic windmills inspired the cabaret’s name and sign.
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