Miscellaneous
An 18th Century Bullfight and a Woman of Arles, France
A gentleman by the name of Wilson Moore undertook a trip to Holland, France, and Italy in the late 1700s. During his trip he wrote letters, and, later, while at the table of Duke Humphrey, he decided to send “his work into the world,” by publishing a book that described his “rambles” and was based…
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The Turk: An Automaton Chess Player Hoax
In 1767, an extraordinary automaton was designed by a Hungarian inventor named Wolfgang von Kempelen who promised the Empress Maria Theresa, mother to Marie Antoinette, that he would construct an automaton within six months that would amuse, astound, and excite “the liveliest astonishment.” Six months later it appeared Kempelen had succeeded when he presented “The…
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