Old Paris: Festivals, Games and Spectacles

Description

FOURNEL, Victor. Le Vieux Paris. Fêtes, Jeux et Spectacles. Tours, Mame et fils, 1887; large octavo volume, 526 pages. Illustrated with numerous wood engravings throughout the text and full-page. Softcover, (in current condition: damaged cover, split spine, small losses at corners of first 3 leaves), interior otherwise well preserved. Contents: I. Public Performances of Mysteries. II. Festivals and Public Games of the University. III. The Fairs of Paris: Lendit, Bezons, Saint-Ovide, Saint-Laurent fairs, Foire Saint-Germain, surviving fairs. IV. The Boulevards. Boulevard du Temple. V. Longchamp from its origins to the present day. VI. Operators - Charlatans - Empirics - Tooth extractors. VII. Sleight-of-hand performers - Magicians - Ventriloquists - Jugglers - Fortune tellers - Card readers. VIII. Puppets - Marionettes - Mechanical figures - Shadow plays - Wax figures. IX. Acrobats and Jumpers. Deformed beings - Dwarfs and Giants. XI. Trained and curious animals. XII. Circus horses - Horse and foot races. XIII. Animal fights - Wild beasts and tamers. XIV. Balloons and flying men.