De twee dienstmannen 1876 - 1892

Albert Quantin made this print, "The Two Porters" using an unknown medium, but likely lithography, judging from the printing style. The series of comic vignettes tells a story of the pitfalls of tourism, in which porters compete for business and then accidentally drop a tourist's luggage into a lake. This comic strip likely originated in Switzerland, given the mention of "Switzerland" in one of the captions. The strip shows a satirical perspective on the country's tourism industry, which has been a major economic force since the 19th century. The story implies that Swiss tourism can be chaotic and potentially dangerous for travelers and it makes fun of those who profit from the industry. To understand the role of tourism in Switzerland at the time, we could look at tourist advertising and guidebooks. These resources might help us to understand the contemporary stereotypes that are being invoked here, as well as the social dynamics of the Swiss tourist industry.