JULES CHERET (1836-1932) MONTAGNES RUSSES. 1888. 473/4x341/4 inches. Chaix, Paris. Condition B+: repaired tear in image; sharp vertical and horizontal folds. Joseph Oller was one of Paris' great showmen and entertainment impresarios. Among his contributions to the entertainment of fin-de-siecle Paris were the Moulin Rouge (which he managed), the Alcazar d'Ete, the Olympia and the Montagnes Russes. He built this roller coaster on a prime location, the Boulevard des Capucines, and opened it just before the 1889 World Exhibition. He called his attraction "Russian Mountains," to capitalize on the fashion of all things Russian, which was the rage in Paris leading up to the Franco-Russo alliance. Cheret gives a very realistic rendering of the thrilling ride, depicting happy ladies and gentlemen coursing down the tracks. It is one of his first posters where Cheret makes full use of the four primary colors, with yellow and red being particularly prominent. He also, quite subtly, seems to be implying the incline of the roller coaster with the typographic treatment of the word "Russes." Broido 342, Maindron 275.
