The Floating Palace

The Floating Palace was an amphitheater constructed on a barge in Cincinnati, Ohio, at a cost of $42,000. It had a standard size 42 ft circus ring, a seating capacity of 2400, and was decorated with carved woodwork, mirrors, velvet hangings, and thick carpets. 200 gas jets lighted the palace, and the steam engine on a towboat furnished heat. The towboat also held a menagerie.

Spalding and Rogers Floating Palace opened in Pittsburgh in March 1852, and was an all year attraction that annually toured the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and spent winters in New Orleans.

In 1857 Gilbert R. Spalding and Charles J. Rogers opened the "Spalding & Rogers Railroad Circus" on nine custom-built cars. Their tour started in Washington D.C. and traveled through the states of Pennsylvania, New, Massachusetts, Maine, the British provinces, Michigan, and Ohio. In Ohio they continued their tour along the river on the Spalding and Rogers Floating Palace.

PHOTO: Wood engraving in Gleason's Pictorial Drawing-Room Companion, Feb. 19, 1853.

Source: http://www.americanantiquities.com/articles/article%2011.html

The Setting of Les Miserables

The Setting of Victor Hugo's, Les Miserables, is that of Paris, France when it people were stirred to Revolt. This was a gritty time for the middle class, requiring men to take up arms for what they believed in even when every odd was against them. The Barricade scene that occurs in Hugo's work is a direct reflection of the life and times of the 1830's. Throughout this period of history there were a total of eight barricades that occurred. Hugo attempts to give an accurate depiction of history.

During the early 19th Century, living conditions were less than leisurely for the middle class citizens of Parisian society. It was not uncommon for workers to take up housing in boarding houses or apartments. Single workers would often rent a single a room and then share it with a complete stranger; those workers with families would rent and apartment with one or two bedrooms and then share it with another family or a different generation of their own family. These housing situations provided no heat, no candles for light, and no water; bathroom facilities...if that's what you would call them... were shared by all.

Because of these living situation it then becomes clear why the working men find relief in the cafe. It becomes a place of refuge/relief, entertainment, and provides a place of meeting. In Les Miserables we can see this reflected. However, because we never see the homes of our brave young men seeking out revolution it is important to remember the state of their homes in order that we can understand the role that the cafe plays when we set our scene.



http://www.novelguide.com/lesmiserables/essayquestions.html

19th Century European Fashion

Shown above are images portraying the fashion of the early 19th Century throughout Europe.


Above are images portraying Mid-19th Century Fashion throughout Europe.


The images shown above allow one to see the fashion of Late 19th Century Europe.

Images found at:
http://www.eupedia.com/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/560

Moliere's Conflicts

Moliere (1622-1673)

His greatest achievements were his ccomedies of character and manners. He wrote with such honesty that reflected the times for what they were that it got him into trouble at times. His first big battle was with his show, The School for Wives. Although this show was immensely popular it was questioned on both artistic and moral grounds. But his biggest controversy centered around, Tartuffe. This play exposes a religious hypocrite. Many thought Moliere was condemning all religion and Moliere was forced to rewrite it twice before it was allowed to be put into production. These quarrels only go to prove that Moliere accurately depicted the quality of life at the time.

French Costume Practices

The costume of 17th century France was really a fashion show. All costumes (for both comedy and tragedy) were highly fashionable at the time of performance. In 1727 they adopted court dress for the tragic roles and there came to be a sort of competition as to who would appear in the most lavish of costumes. To use costumes that would have been realistic to the time and circumstances of the plays being presented was seen as being "too English". It would appear that the French looked down upon that. After 1760 we see this view being reformed. Instead of art idealizing life it now began to represent life as it was.

Commedia Del Arte Stock Characters

Two main Characteristics of Commedia Del Arte

1.)Improvisation
2.)Stock Characters

• Two Character Types

1.) Unmasked:

Young Lovers were depicted as witty, handsome, well-educated; but also naive, and not too bright. They were dressed in fashionable garments of the day.

2.) Masked

• Masters

Capitano was one of the lovers, exaggerated in manners and dress. Transformed into a coward after having boasted of many conquests in battle and love and eventually discredited. Wore sword, cape and feathered headdress.

Pantalone was a middle-aged or elderly merchant. Venetian dialect. Fond of Proverbs. Wore a tight red vest, red breeches and stockings, soft slippers, a black, ankle-length coat, a soft brimless cap with trailing wisps of hair, a brown mask with a large hooked nose, and a scraggly gray beard.

Dottore either Pantalone's friend or rival and held a high place in society. Usually a doctor of law or medicine. Bolognese dialect. Liked to show off his education. Wore academic cap and gown. Jealous husband often cuckolded.

• Servants

Harlequin was both cunning and stupid and was a dancer and acrobat. Usually at the center of any intrigue. Where's what is now known as "harlequin". On his head, a raksh hat above a black mask, at his side, a wooden sword (slap stick).

Brighella was Harlequin's frequent companion. His mask had a hooked nose and mustache, and his trousers and jacket were decorated with a green braid.

Pulcinello was always a Neopolitan. Sometimes he was a servant or he could be a merchant or a host of an inn. Mixture of foolishness and shrewdness, villainy and love, wit and dullness. Enormous hooked nose, humback, and wore a long pointed cap.

The Terrence Stage to the Perspective Stage

The Terrence Stage is argued to have been used almost everywhere during the 17th century. It was given its name in remembrance of Plautus and Terrance's plays. In a Venetian edition of Terence's comedies in 1497 there were illustrations illuminating the general style of theatre spaces of the time. With this style of theatre space, "the stage area is backed by a continuous facade, either straight or angled and divided into a series of curtained openings, each representing the house of a different character."

This style of theatre is later modified to include realistic perspective drawings, manipulating the viewers eye to create illusion; therefore enhancing the overall spectacle of the scenes. This style can be attributed to Leon Battista Alberti, Filippo Brunelleshi and Masaccio.