Pipe and butt
1905
Fernand Louis Gottlob's 1905 sketch captures the bustling atmosphere of a French racecourse, where tipsters were a common sight. A dapper young man in a fedora leans in conspiratorially, offering a 'tuyau'—French slang for a hot betting tip—to a skeptical older woman clutching her purse. The title, 'Tuyau et culot' (The Tip and The Audacity), perfectly sums up the scene: he's got the nerve to sell her inside information, while she looks like she's carefully counting her francs to see if it's worth the risk. Gottlob was a master illustrator for Parisian humor magazines, turning these everyday social interactions into sharp, comedic commentary.
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