The Musée des Arts Forains Explores the History of Carnivals and Fairground Art

I didn’t come to Paris to die, but the City of Love seemed to have other ideas. At least it wouldn’t be any ordinary, everyday death; when strolling through the 19th-century fair, I was just about to be thrown inevitably headfirst into the walls of the Musée des Arts Forains, would guarantee me an unforgettable obituary. Who dies from the fast carousel these days? I was almost looking forward to it.

Luckily, the 120-year-old on the bike didn’t kill me. As terrifying as this thing can feel to drive, its top speed rarely reaches 30 miles per hour, which wouldn’t be much for a modern-day thrill ride. However, combine that speed with age-old construction, a lack of seat belts, restraints, or any visible safety mechanism, and the fear surpasses anything you’ll feel on a fancy new roller coaster. And the kicker: because this carousel is a collaborative effort, with every bike attached and every rider helping to keep it spinning faster and faster, you have to keep your feet firmly on those pedals. If they slip and you don’t pull your feet out of the way, you can absolutely mess them up as they get sucked into the swirling cyclone of pedals pushed by the force of a dozen other riders.

This happened to me, almost immediately.

As I braced my legs against the side of my bike, I began to feel the centrifugal force—the mechanical reaction that would end my life that day. The merry-go-round kept spinning faster and faster, our (very French, very entertaining) guide crying with joy as this group of tourists began to realize that this carnival ride was also possibly some kind of death trap as I squeezed harder and harder for the handlebars of my bike. You know that part of it Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory with the boat and the tunnel and all the screaming? It felt like this, but with the added promise of massive head trauma.

And I loved every second of it.

Musée des Arts Forains – in English, Fairground Art Museum – is a tribute to the fairs and carnivals of the 1800s and early 1900s. Located inside the Pavillons de Bercy in the 12th arrondissement, the reservation-only museum collects dozens of rides, amusements, midway stalls and pieces of art from these forerunners in today’s parks, preserving and presenting them for their historical and artistic value. and, in the case of certain exhibits, like our friend and potential killer, the speed carousel, letting today’s guests experience them as they would a century ago at the fair. It’s a special museum, but one of my favorites in Paris.

What seems charmingly archaic to us today must have been magical, even otherworldly, to fairs 130 years ago, at a time when electricity was still new and the home technology boom of the 20th century was a few decades away. away. The museum’s ornately carved woodwork, detailed sculptures and costumed mannequins don’t look primitive today, but reveal a level of handmade artistry and uniqueness that has largely been lost since the rise of mechanization and line precision. of assembly. There is a sense of mystery about the figures you can see today in the Museum, as if these wooden mermaids and elephant hot air balloons not only carry the story of their years of service at the fair, but have also seen something else, some private life. unknown to us who only see them as carnival novelties.

This slightly unnerving feeling abounds in the exhibits of the Original Marvelous Mechanicals Museum. This collection of clock and calliope figurines harkens back to the earliest days of automation, years before Walt Disney’s audio animatronics began wowing guests with their lifelike precision.

Given its focus and the trajectory of pop culture, the museum can’t help but trace the rise of what would eventually be classified under the shocking corporate headline of “IP.” As you wind your way through 19th-century carousels and midway rides and come across pieces from the 1930s and 1940s, you’ll notice mutant representations of characters like Popeye, Donald Duck and Pluto. (This Pluto looks as much like ET as Mickey Mouse’s dog.) You can see originality and originality begin to be replaced by corporate mass media, a cultural hegemony that was not possible before the technological developments of the 20th century. You can still see this influence in today’s traveling carnivals and state fairs, where twisted, fun mirror versions of superheroes and cartoon characters often decorate the exteriors of rides and booths. It’s fascinating to see this process unfold over time as you walk through the Musée des Arts Forains and watch the dark past of 19th century exhibitions begin to take a shape we can recognize today.

If you’re a fan of fairs, carnivals or amusement parks, the Musée des Arts Forains is a fascinating exploration of how they grew and developed over a century. This period dates back to about 1950, or just a few years before Disneyland opened in California and ushered in a new era of theme park. It’s not framed as such, but it’s easy to see the museum as a response to the cultural dominance of Disney and American pop culture—a living reminder that this kind of entertainment, this kind of art, existed long before Mickey Mouse and no doubt it will continue. beyond anything the future might hold for the theme parks and thrill rides we know today.

Senior editor Garrett Martin writes about video games, comedy, travel, theme parks, wrestling and anything else that gets in his way. He is also on Twitter @grmartin.