The Grand Caffé d'Alexandre. Optical View, Late 18th Century

Beautiful and interesting optical view from the late 18th century, depicting a large café in Paris on the boulevards. It is a fascinating document on Parisian life under the old regime. The establishment is luxurious and clearly consists of a long gallery of glass roofs overlooking a green environment. It must be remembered, which is not obvious today, that the boulevards were at the time on the edge of the city, these having replaced the fortifications. The café was frequented by all levels of society, we even see a prelate there. It is even said in chronicles of the time that it was a shady place.... The coffee was distributed by a man who carried a fountain on his back. The sign is engraved upside down because these engravings were intended to be seen in a lighting and reflecting device, the ancestor of cinema. It is mentioned the places where it could be purchased.