The railway
Part of the rail transport system
Paris, France
National Library of France
About National Library of France, Paris
19th century
Anonymous
IF-MAT 13
Epinal prints take their name from the eponymous town in the Vosges region of France. These stencil-coloured lithographies with simple designs became very popular during the 19th century, thanks to their modest price and popular themes. This particular print is aimed at explaining the new railway system to rural communities, by illustrating the different jobs related to this mode of transport (station master, porter), and the types of people interested in faster transportation (soldiers, tourists, merchants). The different classes (from first to third) and their varying levels of comfort are also shown. This helped dispel and ridicule the fear transport had evoked.
IF-MAT 13
"The railway" in "Sharing History", Museum With No Frontiers, 2024. https://sharinghistory.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;AWE;fr;17;en
Translation by: Flaminia Baldwin
MWNF Working Number: FR 017
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