The Arcades Project - Operi

goods? The answer is very simple and, what is more, very logical: each firm is
always larger than the others,
"You hear it said: 'La Ville de Paris, the largest store in the capital; 'Les Vi lles
de France, the largest store in the Empire; 'La Chaussee d'Antin, the largest store
in Europe; 'Le Coin de Rue, the largest store in the world;-'In the world': that
is to say, on the entire earth there is none larger; you'd think that would he the
limit But no: Les Magasins du Louvre have not heen named, and they bear the
title 'The largest stores in the universe; The universe! Including Sirius appar­
ently, and maybe even the 'disappearing twin stars' of which Alexander von
Humboldt speal" in his Koslnos,"!
Here we see the COllllection between capitalism's evolving commercial adver­
tising and the work of Grandville,
,Adolf Ebeling,) Lebende Bilder aus dem modernen Paris, 4 vols, (Cologne, 1863-
1866), voL 2, pp, 292-294, [G2,1]
"Now then, you princes and sovereign states, resolve to pool your riches, your
resources, your energies in order to ignite, as we do our gas jets, long-extinct
volcanoes [whose craters, though filled with snow, are spewing torrents of inflam­
mable hydrogen] ; high cylindrical towers would be necessary to conduct the hot
springs of Europe into the air, from which-so long as care is taken to avoid any
premature contact with cooling waters-they will tumble down in cascades [and
thereby warm the atmosphere]. Artificial concave min'ors, arranged in a semi­
circle On mountaintops to reflect the rays of the sun, would suitably augment the
tendency of these springs to heat the air;' F. v, Brandenburg, Victoria! Eine neue
Welt! Freudevoller Ausru! in Bezug darat!! dafl auf unserm Planeten, besonders auf de?'
von um bewohnten nordlichen Halbkugel eine totale Temperatur-Veriinderung hinsiehtlieh
der Vermehrung der atmosphiirischen Tfrirme eingetreten ist,2 2nd expanded ed,
(Berlin, 1835)