SOUVENIRS FROM FRANCE

[Mervyn Mitton]

The great loss of life during the first World War and the suffering it evoked , created a great 'need' amongst the civilian population to visit the sites and battle areas where their loved ones had been. The result was that in 1919 - as travel restrictions were relaxed - there were large numbers of 'tourists' visiting France and Belgium.

The local people were also hard-pressed for money and so a cottage industry sprung-up to supply souvenirs. These took many forms, but, the ones I am showing here were typical. Beautifully made, they were originally in the shape of an envelope and inside was a lace handkerchief - also embroidered with a date or, message. These have been mounted in cardboard frames with the backs of the envelopes removed. I am presuming that they were handstitched by the French women - however, I would like opinions as to the possibility that they were turned-out in a small factory on machines. Also, does any member have similar examples they could show ?

[Mervyn Mitton]

[Mervyn Mitton]

With the little front flap lifted to show the message. This is the only one to have this feature.

[Mervyn Mitton]

[Mervyn Mitton]

[Tony]

Mervyn,

I have a few of these, one of them is similar to the one pictured above with a card inside the flap, the card has a handwritten message in German. I can only imagine it was picked up by a German soldier on the advance and then posted home.

It's on the forum somewhere but a search came up empty. I posted the scan quite a while back so maybe it's just not here now. Leigh's memory is quite good, he may be able to describe it in more detail than I can as I remember him commenting on it.

Tony

Edited May 21, 2010 by Tony

[Mervyn Mitton]

This would mean that the French had the 'cottage industry' going very much earlier then we thought. Perhaps there are homes all over Germany with these little souvenirs. Please post if you come across it ? Mervyn

[Brian Wolfe]

I have a few all from one source. The soldier sent them home in the mail while he was serving. He never made it home as he was KIA.

This would indicate that the cottage industry was indeed well established during the war. I'll look them up and post them.

Regards

Brian

[Brian Wolfe]

As promised here are the lace souvenirs from a rather l;age group of artifacts from a soldier from Kitchener, Ontario, who was KIA in December 1917.

I hope you like them and if you have any please add them here.

Regards

Brian

[Brian Wolfe]

Most of these from this collection have a card that fits in a pouch. As you can see from this example the card did not always "go" with the message in the lace work.

[Brian Wolfe]

Another one.

[Brian Wolfe]

As could be seen in the last example the spelling of "daddy" differs from what we use today.

I'm not sure if it is a problem with the translation from one language to another or whether it was a spelling used during that time. I've found no evidence that it was ever spelled that way.

[Brian Wolfe]

This fellow had a son and a daughter back home but what is not evident by the "cards" is that his wife and him were not living together when he was called up for service. It is an interesting story that will have to be posted at another time.

[Brian Wolfe]

Yet another one.

[Brian Wolfe]

He wasn't big on writing and most of the cards simply had the name of one of his children on it along with their address. I guess in the case of this one the card says it all.

[Tony]

Nice cards Brian.

I've been searching for the post of my one which was sent to Germany but can't find it. I'd do another scan now if it wasn't packed away in storage miles and miles away.

Tony

[Brian Wolfe]

This is a particularly interesting card for a couple of reasons.

As can be seen it has the dates 1914, 1915, 1916, and 1917, when it was made and then purchased. Note that the "7" in the date 1917 is made of the American Stars and Stripes which would commemorate the entry into the War by the U.S.A.

I never mentioned that these all came from France but as may be seen here that fact is clearly stated in the lace work.

The card reads "To my dear mother" yet the message on the back is to his son. I'll show that next.

This is the other interesting thing about this card. His personality, from my research, showed that he was not a very sentimental fellow and the fact that the card was meant to be sent to a soldier's mother yet he purchased it to send to his son would support this. I would think he purchased the lace card and gave no thought to the small paper card inside.

This is not to condemn the man it is just a statement that supports what I found out from his family members about him when I researched his life.

[Brian Wolfe]

Here is what is written on the back of this card.

At least he says "from father with love..." so he is not totally without emotion. :rolleyes:

[Brian Wolfe]

This is the last card in the collection from this soldier. He has purchased this for his son's birthday and written quyite a bit on the back which was out of character for him.

[Brian Wolfe]

It must be late, I forgot the image.

Edited May 22, 2010 by Brian Wolfe

[Brian Wolfe]

Here is the message he wrote to his son.

I have tried to post these in some sort of order for you to look at and I have left this one for last for a reason. It seems that at this point he was starting to really miss his children and left a long message, long for him that is. What caused him to do this was known only to him but the card is dated April 3 1917, he was killed while at the front in December of the same year. This was the last message that he ever sent to his son.

While researching this soldier I found many such documents that leads me to think he had a rather sad life and photos of him before the War and at the front near the time of his death shows a man who was broken in spirit.

Sometimes when you look for the truth it is not what you would like to have found.

Thanks for taking a look at this long post.

Regards

Brian

[Brian Wolfe]

Nice cards Brian.

I've been searching for the post of my one which was sent to Germany but can't find it. I'd do another scan now if it wasn't packed away in storage miles and miles away.

Tony

Hi Tony,

Thanks.

I hope you locate yours and post it.

I'm sure these are common enough that several members have them and I hope they will take the time to post.

These are an interesting and integral part of life at the front, making them a true artifact of the Great War.

Regards

Brian

[leigh kitchen]

Mervyn,

I have a few of these, one of them is similar to the one pictured above with a card inside the flap, the card has a handwritten message in German. I can only imagine it was picked up by a German soldier on the advance and then posted home.

It's on the forum somewhere but a search came up empty. I posted the scan quite a while back so maybe it's just not here now. Leigh's memory is quite good, he may be able to describe it in more detail than I can as I remember him commenting on it.

Tony

I can't find it - I have an idea that we mentioned the cottage industry aspact, reels of the net mesh being dropped off to the women who emroidered them, the reels being collected, the designs being cut & frames & backings pasted on.

I have some of these cards, I'll dig them out.

[Mervyn Mitton]

How interesting that so many of them have survived the years. Brian - the messages on yours are sad - and show the hardships of separation and war.

I do hope Leigh can find the earlier post - perhaps it was lost in the new server move ?