Vol à l'étalage
1910
In this cheeky 1910 illustration by Gordon Grant, a dapper gentleman leans in for a kiss with a shop clerk, but his hand is busy pilfering a pair of gloves from a box labeled 'Superior Gloves.' The scene is a classic example of early 20th-century humor, capturing a moment of distraction theft where romance is just a smokescreen for shoplifting. You can almost hear the clerk's surprise as the man creates a diversion, while a box of gloves sits open and vulnerable on the counter. The background is filled with typical department store wares, including ties and a 'Sale of Screens,' grounding the mischief in a very specific, bustling retail environment of the Edwardian era.