George Sand, Five Comedies

Comme le suggère le titre, cette anthologie regroupe, en anglais pour la toute première fois, les deux comédies dramatiques les mieux connues de Sand (Le Marquis de Villemer et Françoise) ainsi que les trois pièces en un acte les plus importantes de son œuvre (Le Pavé, Le Lis du Japon et Un Bienfait n’est jamais perdu). Mais, avant les textes, se trouve une présentation de l’œuvre et de la vie de Sand et un survol général du théâtre du XIXe siècle. Les traducteurs soulignent le fait que Sand ..

Velocipedomania: A Cultural History of the Velocipede in France

When blacksmith Pierre Michaux affixed pedals to the front axle of a two-wheeled scooter with a seat, he helped kick off a craze known as velocipedomania, which swept France in the late 1860s. The immediate forerunner of the bicycle, the velocipede similarly reflected changing cultural attitudes and challenged gender norms. Velocipedomania is the first in-depth study of the velocipede fad and the popular culture it inspired. It explores how the device was hailed as a symbol of France’s cutting-edge technological advancements, yet also marketed as an invention with a noble pedigree, born from the nation’s cultural and literary heritage. Giving readers a window into the material culture and enthusiasms of Second Empire France, it provides the first English translations of 1869’s Manual of the Velocipede, 1868’s Note on Monsieur Michaux’s Velocipede, and the 1869 operetta Dagobert and his Velocipede. It also reprints scores of rare images from newspapers and advertisements, analyzing how these magnificent machines captured the era’s visual imagination. By looking at how it influenced French attitudes towards politics, national identity, technology, fashion, fitness, and gender roles, this book shows how the short-lived craze of velocipedomania had a big impact.https://digitalcommons.bucknell.edu/bucknell-press/1090/thumbnail.jp