A 'Swenglish' journey through family photos, notes and postcards
from the early 20th century.

2022-01-14

G.077.01-G.078.01 - A Holiday at Lake Geneva (1915) - Sepia Saturday 604

 G.077-01 - Evian-les-Bains, Lake Geneva (France) 

8779 - Evian-les-Bains

Évian-les-Bains  is an old spa town situated on the shore of Lake Geneva in southeastern France. 

Lausanne, where the card was posted, is situated in Switzerland, on the other side of the lake.




To: Herr Gustaf Ekman, Backa, Brålanda, Suède (Sverige)
From: Gerda (Lausanne, Switzerland, 17 Aug 1915)




D. 15 aug. 1915
Käre bror! Tack så mycke för brev, roligt höra från dig. Jag är nu på resande fot igen. Vi skall stanna här en månad. Du ser sjön - det är förtjusande. Jag skall snart skriva brev. Kära hälsningar, Gerda.

15 Aug. 1915
Dear brother, thank you so much for your letter, it was nice to hear from you. I'm now travelling again. We will be staying here for a month. You can see the lake - it is lovely. I will write a letter soon. Love, Gerda.


G.077.02 - Lausanne (Switzerland) 

657. Lausanne. Royal-Hotel et funiculaire Lausanne-Ouchy.

A funicular is a type of cable railway system. The line Lausanne-Ouchy was opened in 1877 as the first funicular in Switzerland. 
"The term funicular derives from the Latin word funiculus, the diminutive of funis, meaning 'rope'." - "The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to opposite ends of a haulage cable, which is looped over a pulley at the upper end of the track." [Wikipedia]

Bergbana (engelska funicular, franska funiculaire) är en typ av spårtrafik med större stigningsvinkel än vad som är normalt för järnväg och spårväg. - En vagn är fast förankrad i var ända av en eller flera stållinor, och vagnarna balanserar ut varandra viktmässigt. På banans toppstation finns maskineriet med ett stort linhjul som vanligtvis drivs av en elmotor men i äldre tider förekom ångmaskiner. Runt detta linhjul löper då stållinan, en vagn hänger i var ända av linan, och när den ena vagnen är på väg ned är den andra på väg upp; de pendlar och möts endast på mötesspåret på mitten av banan. [Wikipedia/svenska]




To: Herr Gustaf Ekman, Backa, Brålanda, Suède (Sverige)
From: Gerda (Lausanne, Switzerland, 19 September 1915)



Schweiz d. 19 sept. 15
K. bror! Jag är nu ute ensam på en lustresa på sjön. Sänder dig en vy härifrån. Tänker du får det fort. Kära hälsningar, syster Gerda.

Switzerland, 19 sept 1915
Dear brother, I'm now out alone on a pleasure trip on the lake. Sending you a view from here. I hope you will recieve it soon. Love, sister Gerda.


G.077.03 Evian-les-Bains 

2344. Evian-les-Baines - Terrasse de la Source Cachat

To: Herr Carl Emanuelsson* (Gerda's and Gustaf's older brother)
Storegården, Fristad, Suède (Schweden) 
From: Gerda (Evian-les-Baines, France, 21 September 1915)

"Här dricker de vatten eller brunn"
"Here they take the waters at the spa"



Evian-les-Baines [Frankrike] 21 sep. 15
Käre Bror! Sänder dig en vy medan jag ännu är här. Reser till Lyon igen om fredag. Hoppas ni alla äro krya. Jag mår utmärkt. Jag tycker så mycke om det här. Skulle gärna stanna ännu några veckor. Hj. hälsningar / Gerda

Trots kriget verkar det som att Gerdas arbetsgivare (hennes identitet och nationalitet okänd för mig, men uppenbarligen av väldbärgad överklass, och kanske amerikan) hösten 1915 kunde resa med båt över Genèvesjön mellan Èvian-les-Baines i Frankrike och Lausanne i Schweiz, åtföljd av sin svenska kammarjungfru. Gerda verkar också ha fått lite ledighet för att turista på egen hand då och då, eftersom hon på det andra vykortet skriver att hon är "ute ensam på en lustresa på sjön". 

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Evian-les-Baines [France] 21 Sep 1915
Dear Brother, I'm sending you a view while I'm still here. Will go back to Lyon again on Friday. I hope you are all well. I'm very well. I like it here so much. I would not mind staying here for a few more weeks. Best wishes from Gerda.

In spite of the ongoing war, in the autumn of 1915, Gerda's employer (identity and nationality unknown to me, but presumably a wealthy upper-class lady - possibly American) seems to have been able to travel across Lake Geneva between France and Switzerland, accompained by her Swedish maid. Gerda also seems to be allowed a bit of free time now and then, as on the second card she writes that she is out alone on a pleasure trip on the lake. 



 G.078.01 - Christmas Greetings from Lyon

48. LYON - La Cathedrale St-Jean et vue panoramique sur la Saóne - T.T.

Lyon Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, and the seat of the Archbishop of Lyon. It was begun in 1180 on the ruins of an even older church, and completed in 1476. In our own time it has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage list. (1998) [Wikipedia]

Katedralen i Lyon är en romersk-katolsk katedral tillägnad Johannes Döparen, och säte för ärkebiskopen i Lyon. Den började byggas 1180 ovanpå ruinerna av en ännu äldre kyrka, och avslutades 1476. Numera finns den med på UNESCOs världsarvslista. 


To: Herr Gustaf Ekman, Backa, Brålanda, Suède (Sverige)
From: Gerda (sent from Lyon, France, 12.12 1915)


Lyon d. 12.12.15
Käre bror! Sände dig ett litet paket om du fått det. Jag önskar dig en God jul och ett gott nytt år! Kära hälsningar, Gerda

Lyon 12.12 1915
Dear brother, I sent you a small package, if you have received it. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Love, Gerda



This is one the few photos of Gerda with a date attached to it. This photo was in a frame; but when I took it out, I found that it had been printed as postcard and was sent from Lyon 26 October 1915, from Gerda to her half-sister Sally; i.e. my grandmother, who was 15 years old in 1915. Gerda was born 15 October 1881.  I suppose the photo may have been taken for her 34th birthday.


Dettta är ett av få foton på Gerda som är daterat. Det var insatt i en ram, men när jag tog ut det upptäckte jag att det var tryckt som vykort, och hade skickats 26 oktober 1915 från Gerda i Lyon, till hennes halvsyster Sally (min farmor, 15 år gammal år 1915). Gerda var född 15 oktober 1881. Fotot kan ha tagits till hennes 34-årsdag. 





8 comments:

  1. I wonder what Gerda's thinking. Lovely old coloring in these postcards.

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  2. Not much room on a postcard to pour out one's heart, is there. And in wartime, also having to expect censorship, probably not wise to do so anyway. On the whole, though - aside from worrying from time to time about not having had any news from her family back in Sweden - as lady's maid to an obviously wealthy employer (I wish I knew who!) Gerda seems to have led a pretty good life in France, even during the war years.

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  3. I really have enjoyed Gerda's communications through these post cards. And even one with a photo of her! Congratulations!

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    1. Thanks Barbara, it's nice to have some more people reading them with me :)

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  4. Gerda's simple messages are oddly comforting even though they were written as the war began its second year. Presumably she knew about the terrible casualties and destruction. I wonder how many French soldiers she encountered in Lyon. It's possible that she might have seen captured German soldiers, as they were often transported to POW camps far from the front lines. Traveling to Switzerland during its neutrality must have been a very fantastic contrast with France's rationing and other wartime hardships.

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    1. Mike, besides the war-themed postcards that she sent to her brother in 1914, I also have some unwritten cards of an English military camp (Camp Anglais). But I don't know the location of that camp, or if she ever saw it in person. There is also that one photo of her as Red Cross volunteer, though (Sepia Sat 596, Nov 2021), which indicates that she probably did come into contact with soldiers on at least some occasion.

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  5. Gerda looks so peaceful and content in the photo. Over the sharing of her postcards to her brother, it sounds like she was leading a good and comfortable life. If so, she was very lucky for the times.

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    1. La N, knowing that both cards and letters could be read by military authorities Gerda probably tried to keep her messages neutral. It's hard to know how much she was affected by the war in her everyday life and work, and in worry about the future. Materially she does seem to have been lucky for the times, I agree.

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