DE LA BARAQUE DE FOIRE AU CABINET DE PHYSIQUE : RÉCIT D’UNE ILLUSION ÉPHÉMÈRE

Abstract

Abstract
In the early eighteenth century, fairs are one of the few locations where spectators are able to
enjoy magicians’ performances. The fire that strikes the Foire Saint-Germain in 1762 marks
the start of the decline of these venerable events. A new kind of spectacle—that of the recreational-
physics show—meanwhile emerges, bringing with it a venue of its own—the physics
cabinet—and appropriating the conventions of experimental-science courses. Primarily taking
Rabiqueau, Comus and Pinetti as examples, this article highlights the emergence of a performative
format that largely repurposes fairground magicians’ repertoires, to ensure these
conform with the public’s taste for scientific novelty. After years of success, the mystifiers who
presented these shows are publicly repudiated by universities and academies, putting an end
to their scientific claims. The conjurers of the next generation renounce scientific trappings,
while retaining the “physicien” title they acquired during this controversy-filled period.