Restoration-era discourse on the montagnes russes—early roller coasters—reveals
how leisure activity could become a lightning rod for perspectives on public space,
tensions among social groups, and expressions of patriotism. Eager to profit from the montagnes
russes craze, boulevard theaters hosted a number of plays on the subject. Through the
buffoonish character M. Calicot, one such comedy—entitled The Battle of the Mountains—
caricatured young clothing-trade salesclerks who frequented roller-coaster parks. The play
provoked the ire of some of these men, who “waged war” on the Variety Theater, where the
play was performed. The conflict in turn sparked satires in print, visual, and other media.
These cultural productions both reflected the short-lived mania for roller coasters and shaped
attitudes in their own right, all while employing laughter to deal with postwar trauma.
