Beware of the Rug: If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 607, part 2

Thursday, May 18, 2023

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 607, part 2

Mont Saint-Michel, Hôtel Poulard atné, Grande-Rue, ca early 1900s

Last week the Thursday postcard had a view of the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel as seen through a rocky outcropping. However, as can be seen in this postcard street scene, there is more to the tidal island than just the church. There is also village that is situated at the base of the hill upon which the abbey sits. I found two additional cards from the same collection that have notes typed on the reverse. Both cards have divided backs, putting the date from the early 1900s to the 1920s. The typed note: “The Main Street and the only street in the City.” The card above was photographed and published by Neurdein et cie. The number 26 is found at the lower left corner. This French firm was founded in 1864 by Etienne Neurdein (1832-1918). His brother, Antonin Neurdein (1846-1914), joined the firm around 1885.

The company used the monogram, ND, found at the lower right corner on the card. In 1920 the company was traded as Lévy (of Léon & Lévy or L.L.) et Neurdein.

Le Mont Saint-Michel. – Le Chȃtelet et la Merveille, ca 1920s

This second card has the L.L. monogram at the lower right corner. The number 45 is found to the left of the title at the bottom of the card. Typed on the reverse: “A view of the Grand Cathedral [Abbey].” Ground was broken for the building of the abbey in the 10th century and not completed until 1523. There are two parts to the Mont-Saint-Michel abbey, the church-abbey and where the monks lived, called the Merveille. It is located to the north of the church abbey. The east side of the Merveille dates from 1218 and has three rooms: chaplaincy, hosts room and the dining hall. The west side, built 7 years later, houses the wine cellar, the Knights room and the cloister. There were also an infirmary, hostelry, and the Saint Etienne chapel. At times the abbey also served as a jail or prison which was finally closed in 1863. The entrance to the main church was modified to limit contact between pilgrims and monks. The caption on the card tells us we are looking at the Merveille not the entire abbey.

Pilgrims would walk from Italy, Germany, England and other parts of France in medieval times to visit the abbey. Today there are hiking trails created to enable modern pilgrims to retrace the paths their ancestors took. Tourism is the main source of income for the community living the island. There are about 50 shops in the town and approximately 3 million tourists annually. The island also has museums, restaurants and some hotels. Only about 25 people including monks can stay overnight at the abbey living quarters. Mont-Saint-Michel has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 1979.