Omnibus et Draisienne in La Caricature, anonyme, 1830, Réunion des musées nationauxOmnibus services in Paris in 1828 promised to offer "wide scale commercial public transit," and purportedly did not restrict customers by class- they only required a minimal service fee. Though they were primarily used by the middle-class, the caricature above seems to reveal a certain fear that this would not the fate of the omnibus. Created only two years after the emergence of omnibus services, this caricature seems to address the issues and paradoxes of a public, "classless" omnibus rather directly.
The caricature immediately conveys a certain sense of confusion- How many people can the omnibus sit? Can people sit comfortably? Can people from every class really ride together? The image shows several people sitting on top of the carriage: Perhaps in contrast to private carriages, the public carriage would be more open, the people more visible. One man in black, however, looks fairly uncomfortable. His knees are raised up, suggesting space is cramped- How would personal space be regulated upon public omnibuses? A figure at the front dressed in white, however, chooses to let his legs drape over the front of the carriage and appears to be a child (possibly raising questions about the safety of omnibuses for their riders). Another quite robust fellow in black has opted to hang unto the side of the bus and appears to be making some effort at pulling himself in the cabin- Would all riders willingly pay a fee?
The flâneur Tome Onzième offered a particularly colorful description of the omnibus in 1832: "The omnibus is life, the world, the public, man- everything, in short; its Latin name tells you so." Indeed, omnibus in latin means "for all," and there were indeed no seating divisions based upon class. On a less philosophic note, he described his journey between the Barrière du Trône to the Barrière de l'Étoile exclaiming, "Benumbed with heavy jolting, which vibrated through my limbs long after I had left the carriages, in which for two successive hours I had been shaken and knocked about, I wrote this conscious account of my journey." Indeed, the tilt of the omnibus in the image above along with its wobbling wheels does give the impression that its riders were being shaken a fair bit.
Onzième proceeds to offer insight into the function of the omnibus as a center of watching and being watched. "In an omnibus," he writes, "you find the most perfect comedy, the soul-stirring drama, the witty vaudeville, and broad farce, that would win a laugh from even Heraclitus... all a thousand times more perfect and interesting than at the Théâtre Français.... This moving theater requires no prompter; nature herself performs the office. Nor do the actors wear paint or disguise. They are spectators of each other's performance."
Indeed, in the caricature above, the figures do appear to be performers in a certain farce as they move toward the wagon, try to climb on, and as they look at one another.
That this caricature is a color image provides some evidence regarding to the class and professions of these various riders and onlookers. The man to the right of the carriage in red, for instance, would seem to be some member of the military or upper class- Is he merely looking at the carriage, or is he intending to ride it as well? If so, where will he sit? If he is in the military, might it be acceptable for him to use this type of transportation?
Ultimately, the carriage appears to be upon the brink of toppling over. It would seem the artist is not inclined to believe the omnibus project will be a successful endeavor.
The caricature immediately conveys a certain sense of confusion- How many people can the omnibus sit? Can people sit comfortably? Can people from every class really ride together? The image shows several people sitting on top of the carriage: Perhaps in contrast to private carriages, the public carriage would be more open, the people more visible. One man in black, however, looks fairly uncomfortable. His knees are raised up, suggesting space is cramped- How would personal space be regulated upon public omnibuses? A figure at the front dressed in white, however, chooses to let his legs drape over the front of the carriage and appears to be a child (possibly raising questions about the safety of omnibuses for their riders). Another quite robust fellow in black has opted to hang unto the side of the bus and appears to be making some effort at pulling himself in the cabin- Would all riders willingly pay a fee?
The flâneur Tome Onzième offered a particularly colorful description of the omnibus in 1832: "The omnibus is life, the world, the public, man- everything, in short; its Latin name tells you so." Indeed, omnibus in latin means "for all," and there were indeed no seating divisions based upon class. On a less philosophic note, he described his journey between the Barrière du Trône to the Barrière de l'Étoile exclaiming, "Benumbed with heavy jolting, which vibrated through my limbs long after I had left the carriages, in which for two successive hours I had been shaken and knocked about, I wrote this conscious account of my journey." Indeed, the tilt of the omnibus in the image above along with its wobbling wheels does give the impression that its riders were being shaken a fair bit.
Onzième proceeds to offer insight into the function of the omnibus as a center of watching and being watched. "In an omnibus," he writes, "you find the most perfect comedy, the soul-stirring drama, the witty vaudeville, and broad farce, that would win a laugh from even Heraclitus... all a thousand times more perfect and interesting than at the Théâtre Français.... This moving theater requires no prompter; nature herself performs the office. Nor do the actors wear paint or disguise. They are spectators of each other's performance."
Indeed, in the caricature above, the figures do appear to be performers in a certain farce as they move toward the wagon, try to climb on, and as they look at one another.
That this caricature is a color image provides some evidence regarding to the class and professions of these various riders and onlookers. The man to the right of the carriage in red, for instance, would seem to be some member of the military or upper class- Is he merely looking at the carriage, or is he intending to ride it as well? If so, where will he sit? If he is in the military, might it be acceptable for him to use this type of transportation?
Ultimately, the carriage appears to be upon the brink of toppling over. It would seem the artist is not inclined to believe the omnibus project will be a successful endeavor.
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