Tuesday, October 9, 2007

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words, Part One: "La Ramassel"


Isn't this wonderful...not to mention amazing? It's from a series of prints entitled "Le Bon Genre", originally published in France in 1817 (a second series came out in 1822 and a third in 1827) as an amusing look at life and entertainment among the fashionable classes in and around Paris. Note the little oil lamps on posts running down the sides--wherever this was, you could evidently ride it at night. I can't help wondering if a lot of ladies lost those wonderfully fluffy ostrich plumes off their hats--you may not be able to see it very well, but the lady half-way down the slide is reaching for hers with an alarmed look on her face. And I wonder if that little girl is about to say "Can we go again? Pleeeeease?" In French, of course.

So much for Six Flags, huh?

2 comments:

Cate Gardner said...

That looks so dangerous - I'm a complete wimp when it comes to the fair :0

ORION said...

I love old prints such as these! Thanks for sharing. I also love old hunt prints which show elegant ladies riding side saddle.