mercredi, décembre 07, 2005

TU REVIENS DE LOIN, BÉBÉ! YOU'VE COME A LONG WAY, BABY!


GUERRE AUX CHATS. WAR TO CATS (1901)


Plus d'un siècle s'est passé depuis cette pub. Outrageuse, selon notre vision d'homme du XXIème siècle. Normale pour l'époque. Les temps changent. Mais pas aussi vite qu'on pourrait le penser. Pour pouvoir lire le texte en français, cliquer sur l'image. Vous verrez, cette annonce est à la fois triste et drôle. Nous revenons de loin, mais avons encore un long chemin à parcourir...

This pub was published more than a century ago. For a XXIrst Centyry person, it seems outrageous! But it was normal at the dawn of the XXe... Customs change. But not as fast as one would think... To see the French text, click on the image. The traduction is next. You'll see, this ad is funny and sad at the same time. We have come a long way...but have still a long way to go...

English traduction:

We are agents for the "SURE DEATH Terrible Pneumatic Rifle " that can kill as far as 150 feet away. This is not a toy and could not be classified as such. That is a true and powerful pneumatic rifle made after a model that worths $25.00, magnificently finished, with steel and nickel doors, and scrupulously tested at the factory before delivery. And we have a limited quantity to sell for $2.50. They will be sent by Express, carefully packed and without charges, on reception of the payment.

If you can't buy one, we will give you one for FREE. You only have to sell 3 dozens of our magnificent portrait of the Queen, ten cents each. Painted with 16 colours, 9 by 12 inches, and ready to be framed. For this price, those are marvels. Give us you name and address and we will send you those portraits. Sell them for 10 cents each, send us back the money and you will receive our MAGNIFICENT PNEUMATIC RIFLE FRANCO.

THE ROYAL ACADEMY PUBLISHING CO. DEPT 646 TORONTO, CAN.

7 commentaires:

Hellcat a dit...

EEEK!!!!

Mei Shile a dit...

On tues encore les minous :-(. C'est juste que c'est plus discret qu'avec une carabine.

merlinprincesse a dit...

Anonymous: I know. I had the same answer when I saw this image... One can also say: disgusting, stupid, strange, shocking, etc. As Mei sais, we still kill cats today, but it is less visible. But we still kill POEPLE this way. I think, after all, the world has not changed so much...
Mei: Oui c'est vrai. Et ça me rend triste...

Todd DeWolf a dit...

Hard to believe they printed such things. It is a very awful image. And it is true-there a far too many cats and dogs put down each year. Eeeks is right.

merlinprincesse a dit...

Holly: Sad isn't it? But sometimes some nice things are made for stray cats. You can see the link in the sidebar. "Chats sans abri" Means Cats without a Home...

HawkOwl a dit...

I think the part where you can get a free one by selling portraits of the queen is particularly surreal. I wonder whether she was ever aware of that promotion!

merlinprincesse a dit...

I don't think so. It was Queen Victoria and she died this same year, in 1901...And SURREAL is the right word!