A building once stood at 1 Place Pigalle whose history mirrors the restless evolution of the neighborhood itself. It passed from atelier to spectacle: transformed into the themed restaurant l’Abbaye de Thélème (a knowing nod to François Rabelais and his rule “Fay ce que vouldras” – Do what thou wilt). During the First World War it served as a meeting place for the French League for Women’s Rights and hosted charity sales for soldiers. In the years that followed, it emerged as a vital hub for the Black American jazz community in Paris, before shifting again under the German Occupation into the circus-themed nightclub Le Chapiteau. In its final incarnation, it became the exotic striptease venue Les Naturistes. Along the way, it bore several other names—Restaurant Albert, La Noce, Chez O’dett, Le Coup de Patte—each reflecting a different moment in the building’s life as well as the city around it.