Historic Street Photo - World's Fairs - Girl riding donkey, 1889

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A girl on a donkey, photographed in 1889, makes a quieter image than the grand halls and towers that usually define the World's Fairs of the late nineteenth century. The 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris drew millions of visitors to the Eiffel Tower and the sprawling exhibition grounds, and street scenes from the fair often captured the crowds, vendors, and visiting cultures that filled its avenues. Look closely at the rider and the animal's rigging for clues about who was giving rides and why, since donkey rides were a familiar sight at such gatherings. The photograph gives a glimpse of the everyday moments that unfolded beside the official spectacle.

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