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The Vintage, in Medoc, near Bordeaux, 1854. Grape-picking in France. '"There are no idle spectators at a vintage, all the world must work; and so I speedily found myself - after being most cordially welcomed by a fat old gentleman, hoarse with bawling, in a pair of very dirty shirt sleeves and a pouring perspiration - with a huge pair of scissors in my hand, cutting off the branches, in the midst of an uproarious troop of young men, young women, and children - threading the avenues between the plants, stripping with wonderful dexterity the clustered branches - their hands, indeed, gliding, like dirty, yellow serpents, among the broad green leaves; and sometimes shouting out merry badinage, sometimes singing bits of strange rhythmed melody in chorus; and all the time, as far as the feat could be effected, eating the grapes by handfuls. The whole thing was very jolly"'. From "Illustrated London News", 1854. The Vintage, in Medoc, near Bordeaux, 1854. Creator: William Thomas. (KEYSTONE/HERITAGE IMAGES/THE PRINT COLLECTOR)