Marie Antoinette, party planner extraordinaire, had a merry-go-round, see-saw, and a "ring game" on the rolling lawns of the Petit Trianon. The merry-go-round was operated by two men running in a trench underneath. Two impeccably-dressed men, no doubt. Tents erected, booths built, food and drink for all. I like to imagine the thousands and thousands of candles and fires illuminating the scene, a flickering, glowing wonderland surrounded by a dark, dark, electricity-less beyond. Close friends, favored family and the occasional head of state - her privileged guests - were often given small scrapbooks as mementos of their visit.
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