3-021-487 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

The Empress Eugenie's new Abyssinian page, 1869. 'The Empress of the French appears to be partial to coloured servitors. Formerly she had a Nubian page, and on his death some time ago she took a young Abyssinian into her service, a clever, intelligent lad, who already speaks French tolerably well, and is a skilful conductor of a velocipede [bicycle]. It is one of the daily duties of this youth to stand immediately behind the Empress's chair at dinner, in front of the line of tall, fresh-coloured, clean-shaven, powdered lacqueys in green, scarlet, and gold liveries who encircle the Imperial dining-table'. From "Illustrated London News", 1869.