Is it possible for a street to be both modern and rooted in the past? Here on Rue Jérôme Dulaar you can see that. This street offers a glimpse into Lyon’s history. It also showcases its modern face.
Rue Jérôme Dulaar runs from Rue Denfert Rochereau to Rue Henri Gorjus. Traffic flows eastward along it. The street dates back to the second half of the 19th century. It began to be inhabited before it was officially opened. This explains the lingering reference to it as Impasse Bergeon.
Notice the charming character of Rue Jérôme Dulaar. It comes from its low-rise buildings. Most are only one or two stories high. The street feels tranquil. Eye-level greenery adds to its appeal. The buildings on the street are mostly new. Some are modern. Others are renovated.
The south side of Rue Jérôme Dulaar features an alternating pattern. Garden walls mix with the sides of low houses. The exception is the end. There you see the side of a larger building on Rue Gorjus.
On the north side, houses are set back. They have small front gardens. Numbers 14 and 16 are set back even further. A long five-story building stands there. It is a recent addition. At numbers 18 and 20 stand twin houses. They feature exposed timber framing. Beyond number 20, you will see older low-rise buildings. They stand behind gardens.
Rue Jérôme Dulaar is named after Jérôme Dulaar. He was born in Liège in 1867. He died in Lyon on August 21, 1946. Dulaar invented a traveling cinema. He called it the Théâtre Mondain. From 1897 he took it to fairs all over Lyon. It was a sensation at the Croix Rousse fair. He also featured a person who posed as a statue. Dulaar later sold the concept to other fairground operators.
Dulaar’s generosity and service on the city council earned him the honor of having this street named after him. He spent his final years on this street. Back then it was called Impasse or Rue Sibille Bergeon.
Jérôme Dulaar was a photographer like his father. His father Moïse Dulaar was a photographer born in the Netherlands. Jérôme married Rosalie Huisman in 1889. Rosalie’s father owned the “Photographie du Globe” studio in Dunkerque. Jérôme obtained French nationality in 1889. He then served in the military.
After his service, Dulaar returned to the fairground life. The Théâtre Mondain toured France. It employed a magician who performed a head-cutting illusion. After his eldest son’s death in 1899, the family settled in Lyon. Jérôme directed a fairground theater. It was called “Théâtre Mondain”.
Dulaar was also a cinematographer. He filmed events like the departure of children. They were headed to a summer camp in the Ardèche. He designed a portable booth. This allowed him to follow Lyon’s fairs. The success led to smaller “Dulaar booths”. These were sold fully equipped to other operators. They could hold about 200 spectators.
In 1909, Dulaar spoke out against film distributors’ practices. In 1921, the Dulaar family lived on Place de la Croix-Rousse. In 1924, he was secretary of a fairground trade union. During World War II, anti-Jewish laws affected his cinema, La Perle.
Today Rue Jérôme Dulaar is mainly residential. Perhaps future filmmakers live here. The street embodies Lyon’s blend of old and new. It quietly honors a man who brought early cinema to the city.