Madame Decourcelle is believed to be the first to receive her full taxi licence in April 1908, making her the first woman in history to drive a taxi in the streets of Paris, becoming the subject of several daily newspaper articles claiming this, as she was seen on so many postcards from Paris naming her the first ‘femme chauffeur’.
Driving has not traditionally been viewed as a feminine occupation however, the story of women driving taxis in Paris may have begun even earlier than anywhere else. According to Jeroen Booij (a motoring journalist), “three ladies supposedly began an apprenticeship in 1906 to drive a motorized carriage in the City of Light. A lady named Madame Dufaut-Charnier supposedly got her degree as early as February 1907.”
Although the historical details surrounding the first female taxi drivers in Paris remain somewhat unclear, Madame Inès Decourcelle is often credited as the first woman to receive a full taxi license in April 1908. This milestone garnered significant media attention and
she was frequently featured on postcards and became widely recognized as the first femme chauffeur in Paris.
She reportedly obtained their license to drive motor taxis in the spring of 1908 together with another woman driver, Gaby Pohlen.
While Pohlen, known for her photogenic appeal and eccentric personality, may have been the first to start driving, Decourcelle distinguished herself by becoming the first woman to receive “diplomas” as both a horse-drawn cab driver, or cochère, and a motor taxi driver, or chauffeuse.
(Photo credit: unjourdeplusaparis.com / Wikimedia Commons / Bibliothèque National de France)
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