Londres, Entrée du cinématographe

"Lumiere Cinematographe" reads the sign on the theater; "Every Evening". Gentlemen exit the theater and walk away. To an old artist, this is a fine example of trompe l'oeil. To a modern, it is perhaps the equivalent of an Andy Warhol self-portrait. To the Lumieres' audience it is a boast and audacious joke: we're Lumiere and we'll be here every night. Drop in and see us. Wear a tall silk hat.

To the modern viewer, the interest is in the details of the street scene: the tall silk hats, the horse-drawn wagons rolling by. There are no unaccompanied women and the men stroll, pleased with the show they have just seen and confident of their place in the world. Who knows what show tomorrow will bring?