L'Illustration, No. 0036, 4 Novembre 1843

In this lively nineteenth‑century periodical, a traveler steps off a steamship in Agen and makes his way to the modest shop of Jasmin, the famed poet‑barber of the Midi. The narrator paints a vivid picture of the town’s riverbanks, its Byzantine cathedral and the bustling promenade, then turns the focus to the unassuming façade where “Jasmin, coiffeur des jeunes gens” hangs in bright lettering. Inside, the poet‑artist blends his dual trades, offering a glimpse of a mind that has rescued a dying regional dialect and turned it into striking verse, while still trimming hair for the town’s youth.

Beyond the portrait of Jasmin, the issue is a mosaic of contemporary culture: short romances set to Donizetti, excerpts from Charles Dickens, theatrical sketches of Italian opera, and a series of engravings depicting harvest scenes and fashionable attire. Short scientific amusements and clever rebuses round out the pages, giving listeners a rich taste of mid‑1840s French literary and visual life.