These three images are taken from an old elementary French language text, Histoire de France: Cours Élémentaire, by Ernest Lavisse. (Edited by Marguerite Clément and Teresa Macirone. Boston: D. C. Heath & Co., 1919). They were scanned in 2001 from the original by Dr. David M. MacMillan and are in the public domain.
The first image depicts what I think is
a smith at a portable forge
during a siege in the 15th or 16th centuries.
He's in the right of the image,
if your browser shows only the left.
It seems a rather precarious working position.
Then again, this may not be a blacksmith at all
(the portable forge and bellows are there,
but no anvil).
The second image depicts a blacksmith,
un forgeron,
from the time of Henry IV (1553-1610; ruled 1589-1610).
Here's
the entire image,
which shows also
un moissonneur.
The final image is that of
Louis XVI as a blacksmith.
The manual art of turning was popular with the upper classes;
it's interesting to see that blacksmithing enjoyed a similar
popularity, at least with a king.
The reprints of them here are dedicated to the
Public Domain.
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copyright © 2004 by David M. MacMillan.
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and Rollande Krandall.
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