Nadar Elevating Photography to Art

The Oyster. (You'll wake me up at dinner time.) Big, fat, thick, plump, greedy, wakes up only for the purpose of taking in food and sleeps only for the purpose of digesting it. The oyster does not eat for living, but lives for eating. Its locomotive and industrial apparatus are non existent. It vegetates on the spot and its existence is manifested only by the exactitude, the number and the quality of the meals. The entire energy of the oyster is located in the stomach. One might call it an animal of pleasure, its only mission in life being to consume without working, while others work without consuming. It seems to be perfectly at ease with this providential mission. (Lacépède – Natural History.)

Un Guichet de théatre.

The Comedians from the Province. - Can you imagine, my dear, these barbarians were hissing during my performance in "Cinna"; and you have seen me in "Cinna". - Yes, I flatter myself having seen you, but you must understand that these provincials are utter simpletons. Once you have your debut at the Theatre Français, you'll be seeing Mr. J.J. who will pamper you, you'll be asking 100'000 francs annual salary, and they'll applaud you... how can you possibly succeed with 1'500 francs at the Beauvais... you fool!

Croquade Divers

Various news. "The Rue de la Lune has been illuminated with gas light." Correction: In our last edition instead of "The mayor has given birth to twins" it should read: "He has returned into town." We are being informed from Dijon: "The latest frost has completely destroyed the mustard seeds; this will most likely result in considerable price increases for Moutarde de Dijon." - We inform our readers of a new kind of activity: cunning swindlers are getting information about the addresses of regular patrons of coffee houses. While the clients are reading the newspapers, the thieves will pillage to their home.

The Grand Stairway of the Palais de Justice

They get bigger and bigger. - Our newspaper announces that in order to please the subscribers, they will soon increase the format of the paper. - My God, is that still possible?

The Grand Stairway of the Palais de Justice

Conscript replacement agency. -There's merchandise an' merchandise! You wan' a common replacement, that'll cost yer only 800 F., but I warn yer, they're all swindlers, crooks who don't stay with their regiment, who skedaddle at the first opportunity and who 'ave ter be retrieved.... Would yer like ter make it 1'500 F., take that speciment, it ain't handsome but it's of good composition and it's got papers... As many as yer like an' it don't flinch from six years' service. - Bertrand (aside): You c'n count on it, civilian!"

The Grand Stairway of the Palais de Justice

Robert Macaire, Professor of Industry. Here's an example. Buy a new process, it doesn't matter which, or whether it's good or bad, buy it for 600F, 500F, 25F, for as little as possible. Create 500'000F worth of shares, as many as possible. Make out monster advertisements, monster posters, monster promises. Make the capital, pocket it, put the key under the door, file your bankruptcy papers, that's to say the company's papers... that's the end of that little game. You then go on to another.