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In April 1851 Berlioz was appointed by the Minister of Agriculture and Trade to serve as representative of France on the international commission examining musical instruments at the celebrated Universal Exhibition in London. This was his second trip to London. He stayed there from May till the end of July. His stay is documented in detail in his writings: his private correspondence, a series of reports he published that year in the Journal des Débats (31 May, 20 June, 1 July, 29 July and 12 August 1851), substantial parts of which were reproduced in the Soirées de l’orchestre (9th evening, 21st evening and Second epilogue). He also published an official report on his work as a juror on the internal commission.
The following sketches were published in L’Argus des Théâtres on 16 May 1851 in Paris. The images are reproduced here courtesy of the Bibiliothèque Nationale de France.
(Translation)
Police regulation for ships arriving in London.
Passenger — But I am going from Calais to London !
Policeman — It doesn’t matter, you should join the queue in the ice-cold sea.
(Translation)
Parisian looking for somewhere to stay.
— Monsieur, I am sorry, but I can only have you as a supernumerary.
— Supernumerary !
— Yes, Monsieur, you will sleep at the door of the hotel until a place in a room becomes vacant.
(Translation)
Madame Potard arriving from Paris in search of her husband.
— Ah !, my god, I am so unhappy ! I should have prevented M. Potard from going to London... I should have guessed that surrounded by women of all nations he would end up playing tricks on me !
(Translation)
This just shows how the English race will change considerably as a result of the universal exhibition of 1851.
© (unless otherwise stated) Monir Tayeb and Michel Austin.
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