Jean-Louis-Auguste Commerson
Jean-Louis-Auguste Commerson (2 germinal an XI, 23 March 1803 – 24 July 1879) was a 19th-century French writer, journalist and playwright. Short biography. A specialist of puns and journalistic "canards" (false report launched in the media in order to mislead the public), Commerson wrote many humorous books, including "Pensées d'un emballeur pour faire suite aux « Maximes » de François de La Rochefoucauld" (1851), "Un million de bouffonneries" (1854), "Le Petit Tintamarre "(1857), "La Petite Encyclopédie bouffonne" (1860) and "Un million de chiquenaudes et menus propos tirés de la Gazette de Merluchon" (1880). He also authored  comédies en vaudevilles, alone or in collaboration, and established the periodical "Le Tam-tam". He signed most of his works of his surname but only occasionally used the pen names Joseph-Prudhomme and Joseph Citrouillard. Works. Newspapers. "Le Tam-tam, magazine hebdomadaire de littérature, d'arts, de sciences et d'industrie" was a newspaper published by Commerson from 1835. It would change titles several times during its publication: "Le Tam-tam républicain, organe des clubs" (March 1848) ; "Le Tam-tam de 1848" (July 1848). Jean-Baptiste Dalès called Dalès ainé collaborated with this paper which is sometimes called "former "Tam-Tam"" to  distinguish it from two other publications by Commerson: Quote. According to Jacques Rouvière, the sentence "Cities should be built in the country, the air is healthier"", generally attributed to Alphonse Allais, is to be found in the "Pensées d'un emballeur" by Commerson. In fact, it seems that this joke already was in "Le Pamphlet provisoire illustré" (1848).