This cartoon, published in Punch in 1851, refers to the world's first great fair, held in London in 1851. It was the brainchild of Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, and it drew six million visitors -- equal to one-third the population of Great Britain at the time. The caption reads: "An old gentleman, anxious that his wife should possess some trifle from the Great Exhibition, purchases (amongst other things) the stuffed elephant...."
You could see some strange things at the Great Exhibition in 1851, including a barometer run by agitated leeches ringing a bell when storms approached. I am not making this up--check it out at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempest_Prognosticator
Half a world and many years from the Great Exhibition, one can still see oddities at a fair, or drop plenty of money in order to come home with stuffed animals or other "trifles".
Merrill partook of fried alligator-on-a-stick at the Nebraska State Fair this weekend, a thousand miles from alligator country.
Every imaginable food has been fried and poked onto a stick to sell at the State Fair. Even some things that one can hardly call food are available, for just a few of your hard-earned dollars.
This sow looks pretty calm strolling down the Midway, but she was giving the Pork-Chop-On-A-Stick kiosk a wide berth.
Some of the gastronomical exhibits at the fair try to be educational as well.
Do these girls look a little skeptical at the plastic cow whose rubber teats can produce squirts of real water?
Audrey seems more comfortable with the genuine article.
Parts of the fair are pure entertainment, like this competition to see how far your dog can leap, chasing a tennis ball into a tank full of water.
The sun beat down hard, until we were all envious of the dog.
John got to dream about someday entering Kandy and Jess
into the farm team obstacle course race.
And to dream about driving eight horses at a time, like the Budweiser Clydesdale team.
He also reflected on some of the benefits of not being a kid anymore,
while I took my chances at being one.
John got to dream about someday entering Kandy and Jess
into the farm team obstacle course race.
And to dream about driving eight horses at a time, like the Budweiser Clydesdale team.
He also reflected on some of the benefits of not being a kid anymore,
while I took my chances at being one.
6 comments:
It looks like so much fun. :) ...I wish I could have been there.
That looks like so much fun.
Luke is standing here looking over my shoulders asking a million questions! Mostly who won that, who won that. Who won the dog contest? Who won the horse pull? How do you get on that ride? And my favorite: is that really their cow? I answered the last question for you. He thought the plastic cow was yours. I scrolled down so he could see the real cow :)
I am fascinated by the Great Exhibition. It really would have been something to see!!!
Mom that is awesome! What a fun post! I really had fun with my gator on a stick :D
Hmmmm. So was that REALLY alligator, or just something they *called* alligator?
Was this the fair in Lincoln? I assume there's only one State Fair...
Looks like you had a great time!!! I would've loved to come and join the fun!
Kristi -
They SAID it was real gator. It was pretty rubbery, like you would expect of real gator. But, honestly, we don't know for sure.
Wish you could have joined us - it would have been fun.
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