G.071.01
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| LYON - Exposition Internationale - Ouverture 1er Mai 1914 L'éntree Principale |
Detta är en del av utställningen här.
This is part of the exhibition here.
To: Herr Gustaf Ekman, Backa, Brålanda, Suède
From: Gerda (sent from Lyon, France, 5 June 1914)
Hjärtligaste hälsningar sändes dig på Gustaf-dagen!
/ syster Gerda
(Jag väntar på brev från dig.)
Sending you my best wishes for your name-day!*
/ sister Gerda
Upside down: I'm waiting for a letter from you.
Gustaf's Name Day was/is 6th June, in Sweden. Cf. recent post Gustaf-dagen 6 juni 1913.
The postmark says Lyons-Brotteaux. Looking this up, I find that...
Brotteaux is a neighborhood in the 6th arrondissement of Lyon. It is situated between the Rhône and the track railway which leads to the Gare de la Part-Dieu. The urbanization of this area began in the late eighteenth century under the leadership of architect and urban planner Jean-Antoine Morand Jouffrey (1727-1794). The area is sometimes called Morand quarter.
I get the impression that it's rather a posh district of Lyon, and probably was so 100 years ago as well - which fits in with my great-aunt Gerda travelling as lady's maid to a wealthy lady, and therefore also staying at posh hotels.
The Exposition internationale urbaine de Lyon was a World's Fair in the French city of Lyon, opened on 1st May, 1914. [Wikipedia] The exposition focused on urban planning and public health. and was planned to last until 1st November. However, the outbreak of the First World War (28 July) led to closure of the Austrian and German pavillions on 2 August. Several more pavillions were also abandoned before the official closure in November.
On 5th June, when this card was written, WWI was still not in the picture, though, and Gerda, even if only there as a servant, was probably enjoying the busy atmosphere of the World Fair, and excited to be able to send her brother a postcard of it.
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| 875. PARIS. - Le Pont Alexandre III. - L.L. |
To: Herr Gustav Ekman, Backa, Brålanda, Suède
From: Gerda (sent from Paris, 12.6.1914)
Käre bror! Hur mår du? Jag är nu här igen på en vecka. Nästa [måndag] är det den 15, får se hur det lyckas. Hoppas få brev från dig snarast. / Syster Gerda
Dear brother, How are you? I'm now here again for a week. Next [Monday] is the 15th, remains to be seen if it succeeds. I hope to receive a letter from you soon. / Sister Gerda
[Looked up 15 June 1914 in an online calendar and it was a Monday.]
This is such a teasing message...! Gerda must have written Gustaf a letter in between these two cards, explaining what it was that she was hoping would succeed on or before June 15th. (It still can't have anything to do with the war. The assassination in Sarajevo didn't happen until June 28th, and the war didn't break out until July 28th.)
Linking to: Sepia Saturday 599
"Will it succeed?"
I love French postcards like this with their birds-eye-view of France's impressive architecture. Even though the printing was sometimes grainy, the publishers produced an amazing record of French life and society in this era. Do you know about these historic films of Paris? It's magical how the moving images bring to life the people of this time.
ReplyDelete[(1900). A Sunday in Paris. Lumiere Brothers] https://youtu.be/9VUVqWckLDo
[Spectacular Paris during the Expo of 1900 in color!] https://youtu.be/2Y6xXWq1Tik
Thanks Mike, I'll check out the links. I've heard of the Lumière Brothers.
DeleteI agree with Mike. These are excellent photographs of France before the war. I an interested to see how Gerda's travels and correspondence changed once WWI began.
ReplyDeleteMolly, my plan is to continue to try and fit Gerda's cards in with the Sepia Saturdays. It's more interesting (and sometimes enlightening) for myself as well when I get some comments from others. :)
DeleteAh, the beautiful days just before the war. There really wasn't anything in daily life to forecast its coming, but in politics there must have been. Thanks for showing wonderful photos of France.
ReplyDeleteBarbara, gong through this postcard album has increased my fascination with this period of history.
DeleteYou are sharing with us such a wonderful collection of vintage postcards. I am lucky to have two rather similar images of Brussels, sent by my grandfather from the city, December. They are among my family history treasures.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sue. I enjoy being able to share the old postcards rather than just keep them to myself.
DeleteThis is such a suspenseful story - wondering when the war will interrupt Gerda's splendid holiday - even as a lady's maid. And what a shame the Exposition was caught by the war and was forced to end in such a way. It's truly amazing we haven't learned YET war doesn't solve a thing!
ReplyDeleteThanks LaN. Yes, it's a real shame that there are still so many violent conflicts going on in the world. And just now, with the corona virus, I think we all (even in countries not involved in war) also have some experience of how circumstances can change very quickly, for example when it comes to being able to travel or not...
Delete