Trottoir Roulant or Moving Sidewalk with Box

this wonderful French creation memorializes in toy form one of the most popular attractions of the famed Paris Exposition Universelle of 1900 which was a 3 tier moving sidewalk - each tier at a different speed - Thomas Edison's film of this marvel in action can be seen online at www.archi-ninja.com/trottoir-roulant; the toy version is operated by an inertia wheel mechanism powered as a gyroscope is with the puling of a string, it has 2 tiers which being concentric circles operate at different speeds - each peopled with painted cast metal figures and lamp posts; the tiers are numbered and there is an end (but) post to mark a finish line as in many similar French race course games; the toy is offered in original box with descriptive label, box lid hand lettered indicating the toy was a Happy New Year present; 9" diam.

excellent to near mint