Gifted with a thousand talents, buskers (or street entertainers) mastered the art of making people laugh, filling them with emotions and piquing the curiosity of crowds. They would set up on sidewalks in cities, in parks, or tour the countryside to demonstrate their ingenuity and skill at providing the best performance possible. In a hat or other container, they would collect a few coins, evidence of the public’s appreciation of their efforts.

As appealing to adults as to children, puppet shows could deal with the craziest, or the most serious subjects. Puppet theatres had existed in the St. Lawrence Valley since the late 18th century. The sketches by the first puppeteer, Jean-Sébastien Natte, portrayed historical personalities such as Louis XV, Voltaire and Montcalm, as well as the classic characters of the commedia dell’arte, such as Harlequin and Columbina. The puppets performed in front of landscapes painted by Natte himself. In addition to putting shows on in his home, Natte also occasionally set his theatre up in the public square or even in private homes. In the 19th century, some puppeteers also put on shows in the rural areas, traveling from village to village, and setting up where they could. They often made do with whatever was on hand and some would even use chairs to mark off the space for their performance.  Needless to say, in such cases, the puppeteer’s talent had to compensate for the lack of equipment.

With their treats for the ears, the street musicians brightened up the trips of passersby, playing instruments such as the accordion, flute or harmonica or singing. In the cities, they could be found on the sidewalks, in parks, on ferries and even in the port where they occasionally went to welcome new arrivals. In the countryside, local musicians were regularly called on to provide entertainment for gatherings. In the 20th century, some artists joined forces and toured together. La Bolduc, for example, founded a troupe. When they arrived in the villages, the troupe would ask the local priest for permission to use the church, going so far as to offer him money if he agreed to announce the performance from the pulpit. During the performance, of course, the holy objects were removed. Other traveling musicians were well known in their region.  This was the case, in the Saguenay and Charlevoix, of Louis l’Aveugle, who had been blind from birth. He told stories, sang, and played the violin and the "bioune”, a form of percussion harp he carried in a cart.

Occasionally accompanied by a small monkey, the organ grinder merely had to turn a crank to produce enchanting music for passersby in the good weather. His prettily decorated instrument could be equipped with a mobile foot so that he could set up comfortably.  When traveling, the organ grinder carried his instrument on his back. Several melodies were available, such as the music of Carmen or waltzes by Strauss, but once a roll was installed on the hand organ, the instrument only played one tune, over and over.

Ever curious, crowds of people would be attracted by the unusual. In this respect, the mechanical puppeteer was always a success when he presented his mechanical puppets, which he often made himself. Using a rope or a pedal, he would activate his little people. In the 19th century, the colourful automated puppets of Godefroy Ladouceur, for example, represented trades, animals and dancers.

For his part, the projectionist would use a magic lantern to project a variety of landscapes that were painted or photographed on glass, and accompany his show with a narrative. In the early years, many people were suspicious of those who projected images and would make the sign of the cross as they left the show. At the dawn of the 20th century, the first silent movie traveling projectionists appeared. Touring Quebec between 1897 and 1905, Henry de Grandsaignes d’Hauterive and his mother stopped in villages that had at least a few thousand inhabitants. They would set up their “historiograph” in schools and church basements. This first movies presented, which often covered historical or religious topics, consisted of a series of photographs which the projectionist would comment on, accompanied by music.

Physical strength was long considered a very useful quality in daily life and some strong men became veritable heroes. Louis Cyr, for example, displayed his strength in public, pulling against four horses. Strong women, dwarfs and giants, such as Édouard Beaupré, also captured people’s notice. At the end of the 19^th century, several athletic and gymnastic clubs, which focused on agility and balance, were founded. Several public entertainers such as tightrope walkers, jugglers and acrobats also strove to impress people with their prowess.

Impressive, and sometimes frightening, shows involving wild animals also had their fans. Up until the First World War, several bear trainers traveled through the St. Lawrence Valley. Their animals were generally brown bears whose claws had been cut and who were muzzled and on leashes. To announce the show, the bear trainer would walk about the streets with his animal.  When curious people stropped, he would have the animal perform a few tricks. He would have the bear stand on its hind legs and walk, climb a post, pass the hat around, etc.  If the audience was pleased, the trainer would invite the spectators to a more elaborate show in the village. Pregnant women would generally avoided such shows since, according to superstition, there was a risk that the child would be born with hair like a bear, disabled, or marked with a wine spot where the mother, surprised by the show, had placed her hands.

This concludes the series of chronicles on the traveling trades. We invite you to return on February 17, 2009 for a new theme.


Sources

POMERLEAU, Jeanne. Métiers ambulants d’autrefois. Montreal, Guérin littérature, 1990, 467 pages. 

BEAUREGARD, Yves. “Jean Grimaldi, le ‘papa des artistes’”, Cap-aux-Diamants, No. 35, Autumn 1993, pages 21 to 25.


Back