Ferdinand Bac,  “The emotional dignity of the English people during the coronation festivities has been an object of universal admiration,” Le Rire June 28, 1902
German-born Ferdinand Bac (1859-1952) was one of the pillars of comic journalism in France, specializing in the market for erotic illustration that flourished during the Belle Epoque. Here, he derides the undignified behavior of the British public during celebrations for the coronation of King Edward VIII. Originally scheduled for June 26, the ceremony was postponed until August 9 – more than a week after Bac’s satirical “report.” The lurid scene of revelry is apparently set in the shadow of St Paul’s Cathedral, possibly indicating the caricaturist’s confusion as the coronation was held in its customary location of Westminster Abbey.

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