Time And Oft

Hotel Brighton and much more

2012-02-24T15:54:00.000+01:00

A great number of large hotels were built along the broadwalk at Atlantic city in the late 19th century. The Hotel Brighton was one of the many hotels demolished in the 70s and 80s.

This is a postcard that I can get my teeth into. Why is it marked “Private Mailing Card” and what was the act of Congress of May 19 1898?

The act of congress allowed postcards to be sent in the post at the lower rate of 1c instead of 2c like a letter. “Private Mailing Card” meant that the postcard was produced by a private publisher rather than the United States Postal Service. Many cards were marked “Postal Card – Carte Postale” which meant that they could enter the international system.

Because the postcard was sent to France in 1901, the stamp is a 2c commemoration stamp, marked “Fast Express”, worth about $2 today – if you’re lucky!

Information about the postal system comes from the Smithsonian Institute website

Mountain View Farm

2012-02-23T16:43:00.002+01:00

Sometimes we bid for postcards just from viewing the catalogue. It’s risky, but yesterday some cards arrived that we were very pleased with; a collection of postcards from the US. First off is a postcard of Mountain View Farm, Lee, Mass, sent in 1904. The correspondence is interesting as the writer is discussing the postcard itself:

“I think these are just right & I am going to colour some of them charge more. Don’t you think we should get 5cts for the coloured ones? Thank you so much for giving them to us”

I’ve tried to find the farm today but I don’t think that it exists anymore.

Here is a link to our ebay store section on postcards from the US and Canada. You can be sure that we’ll be adding more interesting postcards very soon.

The season of the Three Graces

2012-02-15T18:03:00.001+01:00

This postcard dates before 1903 and is in very good condition. What beautiful hats, I would have liked to have worn one. Click on the image in order to see the detail of the dresses more clearly.

A village scene

2012-02-13T17:14:00.001+01:00

Another little village somewhere in France where the boys play “saute mouton” like all children do.

Saute mouton = leap sheep better known as leap frog in English.

ExposeYourBlog !: Contests !

2012-02-08T12:18:00.001+01:00

I’m going to be boring and post this on all of my blogs. As we approach the second birthday of ExposeYourblog!, we’ve re-launched both the surfing and referral contests. All you need to do to win credits surfing is to be amongst the top five surfers of the day. Credits awarded are based on the percentage of blogs surfed, so the more you surf the more you can win – daily and weekly!The referral contest means that you can win credits for referring more members than anyone else daily and weekly. New members must activate their account by surfing and adding their blog.To get links, go to your “Tools” page and click on “My Downline”, scroll down and you’ll find banners and links that you can use to promote ExposeYourBlog!. Or you could write a post about why you enjoy surfing on EYB! and include a link in your post – just like I have.

Don and I are really proud of the blogs on EYB! There are blogs to suit all tastes and you’ll find excellent writing, art and pictures as well as members who interact with each other. We’re building a very special blogging community and hopefully members feel as it EYB! Is being run by real people who care about their members – which is true.

As always Don and I can be contacted via a PM in the forums (don = “Admin”, to contact me “Anji”), via a support ticket or email; forumadmin@exposeyourblog.com . We’d love to hear from you, feedback and ideas are always useful.

Quimperlé

2012-01-20T19:22:00.000+01:00

A typical Breton town, probably before the First World War. Notice that the man is wearing traditional costume. The shop sells hardware. Here is more or less the same view today, the shop appears to be boarded up.

The sinking of the Hilda

2011-12-28T21:32:00.000+01:00

The night of the 18th November 1905 was a night of snow and storms. Conditions were so bad that the men on the Grand Jardin lighthouse didn't see or hear that the steamer, Hilda was in distress close by. They didn't even hear when her engines exploded.

125 men died in the icy waters, they were aged between 12 and 45. There were 6 survivors. One crewman; Mr Grinter (Greender?) and 5 Johnny Onions. Young men from Brittany who had crossed to England in July to sell their onions door-to-door and were now returning home. Their names were Paul-Marie Pen(n), Tanguy Laot, Olivier Caroff, Louis Rozec and Louis Mouster.

Happy Christmas

2011-12-21T22:00:00.001+01:00

I hope that you have a Happy Christmas and New Year.

The Blessing of the Pigs

2011-12-10T14:26:00.001+01:00

I thought that this was a fitting follow up to a post about a dog in a Nativity scene. The title is 'The Blessing of the Pigs (after)'. 'After' is in case you wondered why the priest was heading in the other direction. On Corsica apparently, different villages bless different animals. Zilia is the village where the pigs are blessed.

Cognac 110 years ago

2011-12-04T15:25:00.001+01:00

Four postcards sent in October 1901. Kept carefully in an album and are still together, in good condition today.

This is what I like to find

2011-11-21T15:27:00.001+01:00

A really old postcard in very good condition with a lot of detail. The card dates before 1903 as it has a non divided back. It's in very good condition except for the photo-corner marks at the top. I wonder who did that!

The shop sold bonnets, lingerie, sewing accesories and perfume. Having a look around online, I discovered that this house, which was built in the 14th century, has always been popular with photographers and I've managed to find out the name of the street it is in. The house is still there today!

Les Compagnons

2011-11-11T08:59:00.001+01:00

These are soldiers from the First World War who were carpenters by trade. They belonged to the Compagnons. The Compagnons still exist today. Taking on apprentices and passing on the skills which are now disappearing. If a monument is being restored you can usually find members of the compagnons working there somewhere.

I think that we forget that men were needed not only to fight, but to cook, mend, build, translate, heal and provide spiritual guidance….. Each had his own role.

Waiting in hope

2011-10-28T12:06:00.003+02:00

If you love me openly, send me the green ribbon
If I don’t stir your heart, send me the red ribbon
If you sometimes dare, send me the pink ribbon
If you love me already, send me the blue ribbon
If you want to marry me, send me the white ribbon
If you want to admire me from afar, send me the mauve ribbon
If there is no hope for me, send me the black ribbon
But, if I win your heart, send me the yellow ribbon

I haven’t made any attempt to rhyme like the poem, but that is what the colours mean. The card was never sent, perhaps they didn't dare.

The Appy God Son

2011-10-17T15:23:00.000+02:00

After a very interesting auction in Limoges last week, it’s time to start looking at what we bought:

The first American troops arrived in France in June 1917. They were very much appreciated as this postcard illustrated by Xavier sager (1881-1969) shows. “The New Godson” has been well and truly adopted.

If a picture could speak

2011-09-28T10:37:00.001+02:00

This one would be able to tell us some stories I am sure. “Le banc des Vieux Loups de Mer” - The Bench of the Old Sea Dogs . Old Breton fishermen meeting up in the sunshine.

Wedding Lace

2011-09-04T12:28:00.001+02:00

If you’ve read this blog for a while I think you’ll know that I like lace costume postcards. This is a local traditional wedding outfit. As always with most of the older photographs the details are really in focus and clear.

I imagine that mothers, grandmothers, aunts and big sisters probably started making lace for the future ‘big day’ as soon as a baby girl was born.

Alhambra Theater

2011-08-29T18:43:00.000+02:00

We recently sold a postcard which we knew to be quite rare. Imagine our surprise one morning not long afterwards when it turned up in the local newspaper.

Chinon

2011-08-03T11:02:00.003+02:00

I seem to be finding really interesting postcards to share everyday now. This one, from Chinon in the centre of France, was posted in September 1900. Perhaps the postcard was published before the 20th century! It’s in very good condition, considering the age of the card. In France, the back of the card was for the address only up until the autumn of 1903, so any correspondence would be on the front of the card, hence the blank space. The card is addressed to Mademoiselle Poisson – Miss Fish!

Chinon is still very much like this today and is very popular with American tourists. Here is a photograph of part of the same street.

When we were in Chinon for an auction a couple of years ago we ate at this restaurant, though we couldn’t afford to stay in the hotel. (Click on ‘photos’ to see views of Chinon and the hotel)

A little bit of history

Five pretty ladies

2011-08-02T17:40:00.003+02:00

I know that they were probably quite uncomfortable and involved the wearing of corsets, but aren’t they beautiful? And then there are the hats…

Lucky Black Cat

2011-07-23T17:14:00.001+02:00

This unused postcard is in incredibly good condition considering it is almost 100 years old. The cat was meant to bring good luck for the ‘Poilus’ (The *hairy ones), the French soldiers. This is strange because in France a black cat is considered unlucky. I can only think that the card was produced more for the allied troops. Hence the flags in the background.

*‘Hairy’ as in real men have hair on their chests.

Sunday best

2011-07-22T16:01:00.002+02:00

The boys are from Brittany and I bet they weren’t so well dressed every day. You might be able to see that some of them are wearing medals. Perhaps the medals their fathers won during the great war?

Village Life

2011-07-16T16:23:00.004+02:00

I couldn’t find a modern day picture online of the centre of this village. The photograph would have been taken before WW1. It was posted in 1915. As the postcard was sent from the Champagne Ardennes region at that epoch. More than likely by a soldier sending a postcard home to his family.

The church today.

Here comes the bus !

2011-07-14T11:59:00.002+02:00

On the 21st March 1907 the first bus from La Rochelle went on a demonstration tour. Can you imagine the excitement in the villages where cars were rare sights, let alone a bus?

Today, La Rochelle has a splendid fleet of buses, running on environmentally friendly diesel, two ferries across the port, park and drive, bicycles and taxis.

From small acorns do mighty oaks grow…

When is an elephant not an elephant ?

2011-06-13T16:44:00.002+02:00

When it’s a chimera.

This one is perched on the top of Notre Dame church in Paris . In architecture a Chimera is a fantastic, mythical or grotesque figure used for decoration. I think that he looks a lot friendlier than a gargoyle.

Joyeuses Pâques

2011-04-22T12:06:00.000+02:00

Two little girls pouring out flowers to wish everyone a Happy Easter.

“Amis fleurissez-vous
En souvenir de nous!”

Friends decorate yourselves with flowers
As a souvenir of us !

Edna Aug

2011-04-11T17:51:00.000+02:00

I haven’t been able to find out much about Edna Aug. I think that she was probably an American actress who came to Paris. The photograph here was taken by Reutlinger in Paris around 1900, so she must have been well thought of. If anyone has more details please let me know.

Sphinx

2011-04-03T15:49:00.000+02:00

This is a postcard of one of several sphinx that guard the Château de Bagatelle in Paris. The model for the face of the sphinx was an opera singer Rose Duthé. This particular sphinx is situated at the back of the Château

A chromolithograph

2011-03-21T15:25:00.000+01:00

Chromolithography was a process by which multicoloured images were produced in the 19th century.

This is a little card which had been printed to celebrate a first communion in June 1895. Even today in France cards are printed and presented as souvenirs, but the best part is the sugared almonds…

If it's food it's got to be French.

2011-03-20T16:01:00.001+01:00

France has always been proud of its culinary heritage. Here are four little collector’s cards illustrating the departments and what edibles they are famous for; wine, pâté,cheese, fish, soup, vegetables and fruit, sugar and beer.

Do you remember this?

2011-03-02T15:07:00.000+01:00

I was born 8 years after the Kon Tiki Expedition, but during my school days we were captivated by the story of Thor Hayerdahl and his crew on their voyage across the pacific ocean.

This is what is known as a semi-modern postcard. Often in black and white and sometimes in colour, they are gaining in popularity as people remember how things used to be when they were young through the postcards.

At this very moment there is a modern expedition, An-Tiki, led by an 84 year old to raise money for Water Aid. They set off on January 30th and are crossing the Atlantic ocean. There is an An-Tiki blog and website.

Victor Hugo

2011-02-24T17:49:00.000+01:00

This little house above a pharmacy in Besançon was the birthplace in 1802 of one of the greatest French writers and poets, Victor Hugo. He died in Paris in 1885. The photograph for this postcard was taken around 100 years after his birth

Exquisite!

2011-01-31T15:03:00.000+01:00

How else can I describe this beautiful little card? It’s not really a postcard but an advertisement for a shirt maker. The characters are in relief and the dress, coat and roses on the fan are silk.

I’m not sure how old it is, but it is in very good condition. Be sure to click on the image for a better view.

Paris 1900 and a strange coincidence

2011-01-26T14:29:00.002+01:00

This postcard was sent in the spring of 1900, 10th April. Look how busy the bridge is.

The correspondence is written in English with difficulty:

”My dear Henry
Oh well! And this operation! You not art death no? You wilt tell at Mama that we are very well to arrive evening Sunday. I am very glad because my teacher have tell at my that he is glad at my and that I make of progress. Of course is relative. ??? carter I shall have two reward of billets. That you ask before Saturday, you wish the good morning of Lady Delabarre. So clasp all the people of my him
Your Brot”

The card is addressed to Henri Arondel who lived in Versailles. There is a painter of the same name who died on that date but in Saint-Malo in the North of France. Coincidence!

Lucky Pig postcards

2011-01-21T17:36:00.000+01:00

These were very popular postcards in Europe and America. This one includes a horse shoe and lots of money, Other cards had the pig grazing on four leaf clovers! I hope that this one brings you luck too.

Some more lucky pigs and information on them

The Singer

2011-01-09T10:23:00.000+01:00

Here is a singer from Algeria taken at the beginning of the 20th century. She’s holding a Derbouka – a kind of drum. I enlarged part of the image so that you can see how clear the details are, even the transparency of part of her skirt. If you click on the images you can see them better.

Submarine

2011-01-07T21:35:00.000+01:00

La Rochelle also had a submarine base. Built during world war II, Part of Raiders of the lost ark was filmed there in 1981. The port of ‘La Pallice’ as it is known was originally built in 1890. As you can see from this postcard, submarines were around the port even during WWI.

The elf and the rose

2010-11-26T21:13:00.000+01:00

Yesterday was an auction day for us. We got soaked on the way there, frozen in the auction room and our train was delayed on the way home because of problems with an unruly passenger. The cards we bought were very good though, so it was worth it. I love this one.

In France, baby girls are found at the heart of a rose and boys at the heart of a cabbage

Baby in a basket

2010-11-15T16:40:00.000+01:00

In the 1920s a working mother had to take the baby with her to the fields. It doesn’t look too comfortable, but Ré island is small so there wouldn’t have been far to go.

For newcomers to this blog, the donkey is wearing pyjamas to protect its legs from mosquito bites.

November 11th

2010-11-11T09:51:00.000+01:00

This blog especially lends itself to a special post of remembrance. Over the last few years I’ve read a lot of postcards written at the front. Boys writing home – some of them could barely write. Men writing to their wives and children. Some in a hurry some with time on their hands….

Some postcards of World War One

British soldiers resting

Les Chausseurs Alpins, French soldiers with special knowledge of the Alps. Thousands were killed in avalanches as well as battle.

Wounded English soldiers

Messes were held at the front too

And to finish; a few lines from Wilfred Owen. Killed a few days before the Armistice, he was 25 years old. A verse from ‘The dread of falling into nought’

My power of life, though youthful, also sinks;
Before my time I bear a hoary head;
And chill airs strike my brow, that blow, methinks,
Straight from the icy cavern of the dead.
Night darkens round; my day shall know no afternoon.

Other posts on World War One.

Before the fire

2010-11-07T09:07:00.000+01:00

We managed to acquire some very rare, old postcards of the Réunion Islands. The cards are all in very poor condition, but still very collectable.

Here’s one of them. People are leaving church after Mess. The church burnt down in 1905 and the postcard says that the picture was taken before the fire. It’s interesting to see that the card was written on February 16th 1905! There was also a cyclone on the island during the early years of the 20th century.

A link to the Réunion department of our store.

Villemomble

2010-11-05T19:28:00.001+01:00

These two postcards are here simply because I love the name of the town where they come from; Villemomble. The cards were sent on 1903. Today the town is in the suburbs of Paris.

New York

2010-10-22T17:16:00.000+02:00

This postcard dates between 1913 when the Woolworth Building was built and 1931, the year that the Empire State Building was completed. The Singer building was demolished in 1967

“ The red building is the old Singer Building which used to be the tallest in the world. The white one to the right of course is the Woolworth building which now is the tallest. The street is the lower end of Broadway. The upper end of Bway is where all the theatres are concentrated.”

Flowers

2010-10-14T21:34:00.001+02:00

I found this bouquet of flowers to cheer up an October evening

Calvary at Plougastel

2010-10-12T21:26:00.001+02:00

A photograph if this Calvary recently appeared on another blog . A few days later I came across the postcard in our collection. I thought I’d post it here as it is an interesting subject. As usual the local children have wriggled themselves into the photograph.

Here is a link to Caroline’s photos where you can see the top of the cross in more detail. She tells me that it is made of granite!

A collector of postcards

2010-10-06T21:11:00.003+02:00

We’ve recently acquired some postcards from a collection which are in very poor state. Many of the cards are falling apart, have been nibbled by insects or have foxing (rust stains). The postcards were collected by a young woman from around 1902 onwards. She posted an announcement in “Le Petit Echo de la Mode” (magazine founded in 1880) looking for people willing to exchange postcards with her. This is what makes her cards so special, even though they are in such bad condition. The cards that she received were carefully selected by other collectors. A lot of them are unusual and rare. Not your usual tourist cards at all.

This card from Calais is interesting because it is a photograph of the shop run by the photographer himself. If that his family in the doorway?

Peacock Lady

2010-09-27T22:08:00.001+02:00

This card raised the question of copyright. We were contacted by a French author of historic novels who wanted to use the image as an illustration for one of her books. We don’t own the copyright and as long as the publisher is long dead and gone there is no problem. We sent her a scan of the card and she wrote back saying that she might use the image and if she did my name would be mentioned. Fame at last!

Gruss aus Feldkirch

2010-09-15T19:13:00.000+02:00

An Austrian card for a change. From the town of Feldkirch. I love the way that this card has been decorated and coloured. It’s also in excellent condition considering it’s over 107 years old. Click on the image to see it in better detail.

A view of La Rochelle

2010-09-06T18:52:00.001+02:00

All you have to do is substitute the horses and carts for cars and you would see that nothing has changed over the last 100 years. The shops are very different though, most of them today are bars or (real)estate agents.

Destination Cannes

2010-09-05T14:41:00.002+02:00

Even 107 years ago Cannes was a destination to dream of. It became popular in the 19th century thanks to a British Statesman, Henry Peter Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux. Here you see the railway station complete with steam train.

Since 1946 Cannes is especially well known for the Cannes Film Festival.

Sun’s Talisman Card

2010-08-27T17:28:00.001+02:00

I was sure that I’d be able to find something out about this card which was produced during the First World war. No information at all. I managed to find out that the flag in the top right hand corner represents the Russian Empire. There is the French flag and the Belgian flag. The flag in the bottom left hand corner is a mystery.

Protect the one I love
You who produce the great miracles of nature
You who all religions bow down before
You who see the dear soldier that I cannot see
You who all believe in when the thunder roars.

The writer talks of the end of the war coming soon... in February 1918 there were 9 more months to wait.

Traditional bonnet

2010-08-25T20:52:00.002+02:00

I couldn’t let this little girl go without including her in my collection here. If she were alive today she would be over 100 years old. She’s showing off her bonnet for a series of postcards on local headdresses from Brittany. All through France women and girls from every town and region would have been proud to show off their traditional clothes

Making up

2010-08-09T21:10:00.002+02:00

I love this costume card. The colours are just right and I like to see the costumes that people wore in the different regions of France a hundred years ago. This one is entitled “Peace is made”. Well, the husband looks pleased with himself at least…

The rest I can’t translate as it is in ‘patois’ – the ‘dialect’ of the region.

A musical Sunday...

2010-07-29T17:02:00.002+02:00

...long ago in Toulon in the South of France. This postcard reminded me of the paintings by the English painter, LS Lowry.

Maison Rouff

2010-07-25T21:02:00.003+02:00

A very old poastcard, not at all in good condition, but with a wealth of information after a ltttle research. The ladies are standing in front of the French fashion house, Maison Rouff. Beautifully made clothes and soft furnishings from this store are now sought after collectables. César Ritz chose Rouff for table cloths etc. when he opened his first hotels.

I have no idea why the ladies were showing off their lovely parasols like that. Click on the image to get a more detailed view of their clothes.

Up to the top

2010-06-26T10:32:00.003+02:00

These Swiss climbers, making their way to the top of a sérac in 1902 reminded me of a poem:

How to Tell the Top of a Hill
(John Ciardi)

The top of a hill
Is not until
The bottom is below.
And you have to stop
When you reach the top
For there's not more UP to go.
To make it plain
Let me explain:
The one most reason why
You have to stop
When you reach the top - is:
The next step up is sky.

Serenity

2010-06-13T12:16:00.002+02:00

Another card from Russia at the beginning of the 20th century. This lady is from the Caucasus. I’ve been trying to find out where by searching for the lace in the internet. No luck so far.

Three sisters

2010-06-12T12:04:00.004+02:00

A very special card all of the way from Russia in 1906. This card reminds me so much of myself with my sisters. I’m the one pretending to be interested in the grass growing on the left hand side.

Dom’s young man used to live in Russia so he came in useful in translating and research. The red cross is the symbol used by the Saint Evgueni Community, St Petersbourg who published the card. And others too. Here are a few of them.

If you visit the website, click on the images and you will enjoy the cards larger than life.

A poem lovely as a tree

2010-06-03T11:07:00.002+02:00

TREES
by: Joyce Kilmer (1886-1918)

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

Need I add more?

Until recently the cedar tree was a famous meeting place in the Jardins de la Fontaine, in Nimes. Unfortunately the bad weather this winter has taken its toll… Here are some more pictures of what was left of the tree at the end of March 2010.

Vase Danse

2010-05-30T09:59:00.003+02:00

Fabbio Fabbi (1861–1946) was an Italian painter who specialized in oriental paintings. I love the colours and movement in this postcard from Egypt. Here are some more, I especially like ‘The abduction in Cairo’…

Oops, this painting was in fact by his elder brother Alberto Fabbi, 1858-1906. I think that you'll agree, both brothers certainly knew how to paint.

Through the arch

2010-05-25T21:35:00.002+02:00

This postcard is faded so it’s a little difficult to see the subject; lighthouses. Imagine stepping though the archway and onto the beach. The sea is blue and the sand warm between your toes…

The man who could have been King

2010-05-16T11:34:00.002+02:00

Philippe Duke of Orleans would have been the King of France if it weren’t for the French revolution. He was very interested in wildlife and nature as well as writing.

He owned a property near to Evesham in Worcestershire (UK), Wood Norton. Which is where I come in. He had his own zoo there and when my father was asked to clear some ground there in the 70s, I remember him coming home and telling us that he’d dug up bones of the animals that must have been in the zoo. Wood Norton was also used as a training centre by the BBC at the time that I worked in the bank at Evesham. We saw students from all over the world – oh happy days.

Back to Louis Philippe Robert d'Orléans, he was born in 1869 in England and died in 1926 in Sicily. At one point he was put in prison for returning to France from where he had been exiled, but was granted his freedom after a few months. He never returned to France.

I know that there was a wedding of some importance at Wood Norton. I saw photographs at the museum in Evesham. The town was honoured on that occasion by the visit of Edward VII no less!

A lesson in focus

2010-05-15T17:28:00.004+02:00

This postcard is possibly over 110 years old. As well as a pleasant picture which drew my eye, is the clarity of detail from the shadow of the tree on the ground to the clock on the church. (It was half past two). I wonder what the gentleman would make of being enlarged and put for everyone to see on a blog?

A Mousy Tail...

2010-04-30T08:56:00.002+02:00

Sorry, I couldn’t resist a little play on words.

The mouse family had their little adventure back on 1906. The cards were sent to an 8 year old girl, Odette by her cousin, Ninette. The cards at entitled: The Rascal – Imprudence – Conspiracy – Evasion – Outcome, “The Cake Walk”; appropriate music for hungry mice. Debussy was yet to write his famous tune (Children’s Corner suite -1908) but “Cakewalk” music was popular in the US.

Gilbert and Gish

2010-04-12T15:43:00.001+02:00

John Gilbert and Lillian Gish were together for the 1926 film ‘La Bohème’ directed by King Vidor.

In order to prepare for the death scene Lillian Gish ‘allowed no liquid to touch her lips’ (to change her voice I suppose), she also visited hospitals in order to learn about the effects of tuberculosis. She didn’t think much of John Gilbert who was infatuated with her and messed up the love scenes so that he could kiss her as much as possible.

Lillian Gish died in 1993, she was almost 100 years old.

A mystery house

2010-03-27T16:02:00.001+01:00

There is no clue whatsoever as to the whereabouts of this house. Why was the photograph taken? Could it be a guesthouse in the suburbs of a tourist town? What time of day was it? What day of the week? Which year? There are roses but not too many leaves on the trees. Springtime perhaps?

We’re putting the card online for sale. Someone somewhere might have something to say and let us know….

Bragou bras

2010-03-25T21:27:00.001+01:00

Bragou bras were working trousers which were worn throughout France at one time. By the time this postcard was made, just over a hundred years ago, the custom had just about died out. Plonévez Porzay is in Brittany.

And you thought that pollution was a new problem

2010-03-03T08:54:00.003+01:00

This really is a wonderfully detailed card from Aix-les-Bains. The postcard dates from around 1900 and is in exceptional condition. Can you see what the man is doing in the foreground? I suppose that someone had to do it. Before the arrival of the motor car the pollution from house manure in London was such a big problem that it was discussed in parliament. You can only grow so many roses….

Click on the image to get a better view.

Ready for battle

2010-02-21T14:00:00.003+01:00

These four young men captured my imagination. They are all very different to each other despite their uniform.

The first one on the left is younger than the others, I get the impression that he is shy, he’d rather not have his photograph taken and certainly doesn’t quite feel like one of the band yet. Next is the one you can rely on; If you met him in the street he’d be happy to talk for a while and if you needed a hand with anything, he’d be your man. He writes postcards to his wife and family regularly and looks forwards to news from home. Third in line comes the thoughtful one, he writes long letters home describing all sorts of things, from the birds he saw building a nest to the silly pranks of those around him. He won’t write about the horrors of war that he sees until the war is safely over. The man on the right is very sure of himself, he probably teases the youngster, but means him no ill; he likes to make his comrades laugh. He has managed to conquer the heart of a woman in every town that they’ve passed through. He means to write back to his wife and mother but doesn’t seem to get the chance somehow. He will always be able to tell you where you can get hold of a packet of cigarettes.

The coats that they are wearing are pretty special too; known at the Capote model Poiret. They were designed by the French couturier Paul Poiret, they used less blue-grey material than earlier designs and were single breasted with 6 buttons. The collar was also a different shape to previous collars. Not only did these coats save money and fabric they were easier and quicker to make. The first coats were issued from September 1914 onwards. Here is a link to the website page where I found out about the coats. Unfortunately it’s in French, but very well illustrated.

Another beautiful Lady

2010-02-17T21:13:00.002+01:00

Marville was an actress who worked at the Moulin Rouge as a hippomobiliste at the beginning of the twentieth century

Life continues

2010-01-23T16:07:00.001+01:00

Another view of the Eiffel Tower during the floods of January 1910, but the main subject is the steam train making its way through the water…

Click on the image for a better view

Paris 1910

2010-01-08T20:40:00.008+01:00

One hundred years ago this month Paris was flooded. There were plenty of postcards depicting the event which caused a lot of damage, but what is more interesting is the back of the postcards. Ordinary people telling their friends in other parts of the country that they were safe. Can you imagine the state of the water which invaded people’s homes? The smell?

Just one of the streets that were flooded

The railway station at Orsay resembled a swimming pool.

The Navy was even called in to help

The Eiffel tower contemplating its refection

Happy new Year

2010-01-03T14:26:00.002+01:00

We had snow for a few minutes this morning - not enough for a snowball. I hope that you are warm and safe wherever you are.

Happy Christmas!

2009-12-24T15:06:00.003+01:00

I don't think anyone will have much time for blogging for the next week. Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Lady taxi drivers

2009-12-14T21:20:00.002+01:00

In 1906 Paris saw the first lady taxi drivers. There was a lot of interest in these brave women. They soon learnt to drive motorised taxis too. I was pleased to find an excellent history in English which explains their story in more detail. Does image number 8 look familiar? Picture number 30 is of special interest to me.

Our Première Dame

2009-12-04T10:21:00.002+01:00

There aren’t many photographs of Madame Henriette Poincaré. She was the wife of the president of France, Raymond Poincaré, during the first world war. I was interested to see that she has Italian blood like our present First Lady. She always accompanied her husband whenever it was possible and worked hard during the war to send out parcels, not only to the soldiers, but to the families and children they had left behind as well as offer them support.

She and her husband loved to spend time in the gardens at the Elysée palace. In 1917 an Orang-utan escaped from a nearby circus, found its way into the gardens and tried to drag her up a tree. Of course this news was censored at the time. She must have been absolutely terrified.

Here you see her arriving in Limoges in 1913 accompanied by the Minister of Agriculture (her husband had already arrived).

Sapeurs Pompiers de Paris

2009-11-24T07:58:00.001+01:00

These are examples of the different uniforms Parisian fire-fighters would have worn around 1900. In France the fire service deal with all emergencies. Though I’m still wondering about the one with the gun…

As always click on the image to get a better view.

Continuing the story of Odette :

2009-11-02T08:00:00.002+01:00

Odette was born in 1899. I’ve discovered that her father was in the army. He sent her a postcard of the officers mess with a cross marking the window of his room, she was eight years old at the time. Her grandmother’s Chateau is not for sale, as I thought, there are two chateaux with the same name. Her Grandmother who signed her cards 'Granny' was a Countess!

In 1906 Odette went to stay with friends and afterwards they sent her these two lovely postcards. I presume that her friends were called Denise and Marguerite

Jeannic

2009-10-24T14:01:00.001+02:00

"A travelling photographer is passing through the area. Jeannic is five years old, we must have a photograph of her… but she is terrified by the man and his machine! So daddy has to be at her side. Come on Jeannic watch the birdie…"

This is where I live

2009-10-23T17:38:00.002+02:00

It hasn’t changed that much since 1900 when this card was sent. Unfortunately the boats have changed. There are more people who sail for leisure and fewer fishing boats.

Fritz

2009-09-24T21:06:00.003+02:00

In June 1902 Barnham’s circus was passing through the town of Tours in France. One of the performers was an was an enormous 80 year old elephant weighting 7 tonnes called Fritz. Not surprisingly, one day he decided he’d had enough of being a circus elephant. One story goes that he refused to move, the other that he went beserk. The outcome was that he was killed. He was taken to be stuffed and came back to Tours nearly a year later and has been there ever since, here are some 5 and 6 year olds at a workshop at the museum in Tours.

Another auction, another family

2009-09-21T21:34:00.002+02:00

I’m sorry that I haven’t found time to post for a while. We attended an Auction last week. It’s the furthest we’ve travelled to an auction so far so we took the opportunity to stay in a romantic hotel and mix business with pleasure. We also bought some beautiful cards. One of the lots came from chateau so I’ve been piecing together bits of information about the family. They owned two chateaux in the middle of France , one of which is up for sale at the moment (that’s why the cards were being auctioned I suppose). Around 1900 a lot of the cards were written to a little girl called Odette. She seems to have passed from chateau to chateau to stay with her grandmother, perhaps while her parents were away. Judging by the wording on the cards she was much loved by everyone. Above is one of the cards she received in 1904.

Note: I was having problems uploading this image, in case it happens to you, you just need to click on the terms of service box.

A real donkey in Pyjamas

2009-08-23T17:35:00.002+02:00

In June I wrote about Donkeys wearing Pyjamas on Ré Island. well here is the real thing!. In the background you can see windmills - they’ve all gone now.

Some new postcards

2009-08-14T15:11:00.004+02:00

We’re very excited about some new postcards that we bought this week. They are mainly of La Rochelle and are in excellent condition. Recently a shop in town which dealt with postcards, stamps and coins closed down and I can’t help wondering if they come from there originally. For a little while I’ll be sharing a few views of the town. This first postcard is of a street in the quarter where I used to live. Nothing much has changed at all, except that the shop has gone. I’m fascinated by the goods on display, especially the little horse…

Hyperrealism

2009-08-09T18:12:00.003+02:00

Here is a modern postcard for a change. I love the colours; pinks and greys with just a touch of yellow. “Jeune Homme au Plateau” –young man with platter - was painted by Christopher Harmon Cheung in 1986. He is a Hyperrealism painter.

The correspondence on the back is interesting too. Written by the father of the gallery owner wishing someone good luck. A hopeful artist looking for somewhere to exhibit his paintings perhaps?

Abbé Miroy

2009-08-07T15:20:00.003+02:00

This postcard made me feel overwhelmingly sad. Click on the image to get a better view of the bronze statue of the Abbé Charles-Eugène Miroy (sorry, it is in French but you can see a picture of him), who was shot by the Prussian army after the armistice had been signed, when he was 42 years old,. The sculptor was Charles René de Paul de Saint-Marceaux and this was one of his earlier works.

Abbé Miroy’s tomb is still regarded as a symbol of resistance and flowers are regularly laid there today.

Sur le Pont d'Avignon

2009-08-03T17:20:00.004+02:00

When the Saint Benezet bridge was built in in the 12th century there were 22 arches, but floods, conflicts and time have taken their toll and only four remain. These children were perhaps singing the famous song for the photographer when he took the picture for this postcard around 90 years ago. They all look very happy to demonstrate their dance.

My daughter Dom went to visit the Avignon bridge a couple of weeks ago. You have to pay to visit today.

Marié de L'Isle

2009-06-26T14:44:00.004+02:00

I’ve mentioned the French photographer Henri Manuel a couple of times here. Today I came across this lovely portrait of the French mezzo soprano Célestine Galli-Marié known as Marié de l’Isle, it was taken by him. I haven’t managed to find out much about her at all. She was born in 1840, married a sculptor called Galli and died in 1905.

Tomorrow we’re off to an auction in another town. I wonder what treasures we’ll find.

Donkeys in pyjamas

2009-06-23T16:47:00.002+02:00

A little bit of local culture. Across the way on the Ile de Ré, the donkeys have always worn pyjamas! Even today you can find them if you know where to look. This might seem to be a strange idea, but in the past the working donkeys were troubled by mosquitoes biting their legs. This card shows a donkey with his mistress and the caption reads: “Around here everyone wears the trousers… even the mistress.”

An afternoon stroll

2009-06-13T15:42:00.004+02:00

Today we’ll take a trip in our time capsule and stroll down Avenue de la Gare, stopping for a drink outside the Café de la Poste (on the left) on the way. Although the edges of the postcard are faded, details like the moustache on the man on the right can easily be seen with a strong magnifying glass. The card was sent in 1927.

This is what I call Paris

2009-06-03T21:00:00.002+02:00

An original view of the Eiffel tower around 1907

Traditional costume

2009-05-30T13:36:00.002+02:00

Here is a young lady in Breton costume taken at the turn of the 20th century. You can see more detail if you click on the image. The daffodils on the skirt caught my eye, was her skirt black or dark green? As well as the lace on her ‘coiffe’(bonnet), the edge of her shawl is interesting. This card makes me think of peace and tranquillity.

Who's that girl?

2009-05-21T11:03:00.004+02:00

A little before October 1909 a photographer set out to take a picture of the ‘Grand Hôtel du Parc’. Some passers by were caught on camera including a pretty young lady. She was pretty enough to turn the head of a young man and make him smile( seen with a powerful magnifying glass).

What happened next?

Emile Loubet

2009-05-17T18:05:00.003+02:00

Emile Loubet was president of France from 1899 to 1906. It wasn’t until I scanned this postcard, sent in 1905, that I realised that the lines were in fact writing which tell us something of his life. Click on the images to get a better view..

Happy days

2009-05-04T16:56:00.002+02:00

These postcards were sold in 1939, just before the war. They were sold for 1 franc each in aid of the National Committee for Summer Camps in France. From what I can find out there were guest illustrators every year who produced a set of cards. These were painted by Georges Redon. He seems to have illustrated quite a few postcards and various posters etc., but there doesn’t seem to be anything written about his life.

Spring flowers

2009-05-02T14:20:00.001+02:00

This afternoon I prepared another group of cards for auction.

First of May

2009-05-01T15:40:00.002+02:00

Today is the day on which people offer each other little bunches of Lily-of-the-Valley in order to bring good luck. If you’ve ever been in France on the May 1st you may well have seen it being sold on the streets to passers by. I was offered my Lily-of-the-Valley by the lady who owns the bar restaurant in the village when we called in for a cup of coffee this morning.

The silk merchant

2009-04-28T11:16:00.002+02:00

I love the colours of this postcard. When I first saw it I wondered how I could describe it. I don’t read Armenian. I imagine this is a merchant selling silks to a well to do lady. The card is dated 1900. There are a few marks on it and the bottom left hand corner is slightly bent. If I live to be 109 years old I hope that I stay in as good condition as this card!

Two Lovers

2009-04-18T18:21:00.004+02:00

1. I’ll lay the world at your feet. 2. Your every wish is my command. 3. You must believe in my ‘star’

4. Close to you I am but mere man. 5. As my son resembles you…

One of the nicest parts of what I do is finding treasures like this little set of postcards. The lovers were photographed by Henri Manuel, a famous French photographer. Sent in the spring of 1911, I was disappointed to find that they weren’t love letters at all, but family correspondence.
click on the images to get a better view

1st April!

2009-04-01T07:58:00.002+02:00

It’s come around quickly, hasn’t it? I do hope they didn’t use real fish when they took the photographs. The way she’s holding this one so carefully it could be real. These are cards from past years.

The bride

2009-03-29T21:20:00.001+02:00

I was really hoping to find out a little about the lace on this costume. It was traditional where I live and the young lady wearing it so proudly is to be married. I don’t know whether she and her female relatives would have made the lace or bought it for the occasion.

Click on the image to get a better view of the lace.