If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 123

 Montpellier, France -- L'Esplanade

My French friend sent this postcard that dates from the early 1900s and shows Montpellier L’Esplanade.   L’Esplanade was originally a military drill field that was in use between 1791 and 1814.  Almost 100 years later in 1900 the army sold it to the city for a park.  The wooded park is lined with plane trees and has statues and fountains making it a very pleasant place to stroll as depicted on the card.  Edouard André (1840-1911) was the landscape architect and horticulturist who designed the park.  Some of his trademarks as a landscaper was the inclusion of artificial grottoes, waterfalls, mountain-style stone structures, the use of natural water bodies and panoramas.  In addition to planning several parks in various European cities he also wrote a book about bromeliads that was published in 1889.

Note the vendor stalls along the left side of the card.  A variety of goods and food items were sold in an open market usually held on a Saturday.  When the open-air market was not in business the stalls were locked up like neat big boxes with the non-perishable goods tucked inside waiting for the next market day.  This type of stall can also be found along the Seine riverside in Paris near the Notre Dame Cathedral where vendors selling mostly used books and other second hand items still use them.   Open-air markets continue to be popular in many European cities including Montpellier.

The use of plane trees in French parks is fairly common.  These deciduous trees are similar to the American sycamores and have round ball-like flowers.  The trees can grow to a height of 30 to 50 meters (approximately 100 to 150 feet) tall.  Sometimes the trees in French parks are pruned to shapes such as rectangles, triangles and balls but the ones shown on the card have been left to grow in their natural shape.

The photo is an historical fashion show for that era, women in long dresses and hats, men in long coats and hats.  There are even a few military looking individuals with fancy epaulets on their coats at the lower right.  Also a couple of horse drawn carriages near the back of the photo.  There is even a spotted dog at the right side of the picture standing in the trees. 

For more information, see

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89douard_Andr%C3%A9

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platanus

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esplanade_Charles-de-Gaulle_(Montpellier)

Postcard Thursday, 56, update--St. Pierre's Cathédrale

St. Pierre’s Cathédrale, Montpellier, France

St. Pierre's (St. Peter's) is a Roman Catholic Cathedral located in Montpellier, France.  After this card above was posted on 13 September 2012 I received a second postcard below showing the back of the cathedral.  It is hard to visualize the size of this building even with the tiny people pictured at the right.  Both cards are shown in today’s update so some sense of the size can be appreciated.  It is a major landmark in Montpellier.  The front looks huge on the top card but is diminished when compared to the back of the building.

Rear view of St. Pierre's Cathédrale

Originally attached to the monastery of St. Benoît in 1364 the cathedral was damaged in the 16th century during the Protestant revolt.  For a short period of time there were fairly large numbers of Huguenots (French Protestants) living in this general area.  The cathedral was repaired or rebuilt in the 17th century and looks much the same today as it did when these postcards were printed probably between 1910 and 1940.   There are a number of beautiful stained glass windows that are best seen from the inside.  It was also used during the French Revolution as a refuge for soldiers.  The steeple on the horizon is St. Anne’s church used today as an exhibition hall for art and a venue for other events.

For a little more information see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montpellier_Cathedral
http://www.afranceattraction.com/france-attractions-mp/saint-pierre-cathedral.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montpellier

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As always my thanks for sending the postcards! 


The card below shows a modern aerial view of the cathedral and surrounding area including the medical faculty--the long red roofed building that forms the corner next to the cathedral.  It arrived in the mail after this update was posted.  Since it fits here so well I decided to add it now rather than make a second update. 

 Aerial view of St. Pierre's Cathédrale, Montpellier, France

 


 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 60

 Promenade du Peyrou 

Reverse side

Sometimes kind friends who know I like postcards send me cards and I really appreciate it when they do.  This one above shows Promenade du Peyrou, sometimes identified as Jardin du Peyrou, a park in Montpellier, France with the statue of Louis XIV prominently displayed in the center.  I think it a delightful scene as it includes the two elegantly dressed men wearing straw boater hats as they stroll along in the park.  These gentlemen also provide a perspective as to the size of the park and the statue of Louis XIV.  The other large structure is the water tower.   The photographer is identified at the lower left as L. J. Albaille of Montpellier.  Réunies of Nancy, France, printed the card.  A hat like this was popular during the early 1900s and considered formal summer attire for men. 

Below is a view of the park from a recent visit, complete with a small musical combo, a boy on a scooter, and people enjoying a day outdoors.  If you follow a line from the boy on the scooter to the left it is possible to see two figures that are standing approximately where the two men in the vintage postcard are standing.

Promenade du Peyrou
[photo:  courtesy of a Frenchman]

Although the message and the address are written on the reverse of the vintage card I found it interesting that the stamp has been placed on the front side upper left instead of the reverse side upper right.  This does not seem to have caused the post office any difficulty, however, as the stamp has been canceled and one presumes the card was delivered to the intended recipient.  Probably mail was hand canceled when this card was sent.  In today’s machine world I fear the automated canceller would have rejected it for not having the postage in the correct spot.  Then poor Rose at the cake shop would never have received the thoughts of Frederic!

Perhaps it is natural to jump from interest in the cards to the stamps, in any case, I do also enjoy the stamps and may from time to add some to these postcard posts.  It happened that I had another stamp like the one on this card and it does not have such a prominent cancellation mark, therefore, both are enlarged and displayed below.  A fun thing about the stamp on the postcard is that it was canceled in Montpellier, Hérault and that is where it was found approximately 100 years later.  Now it has traveled across the globe to end up in the United States.  Amazing.

The French painter (Paul) Joseph Blanc (1846-1904) designed and engraved stamps called “Type Blanc.”  The stamp above shows the Goddess of Liberty holding the balance of Equality with Fraternity depicted as two small angels.  Copper printing plates were made from engraved boxwood blocks.  Type Blanc stamps were first printed as flat sheets then later appear as rotary printing.  Beginning in 1900 this design was approved and the stamps were issued in denominations of 1c, 2c, 3c, 4c, and 5c with the 7 ½c released in 1926.  A 10c stamp was issued in 1929.  The color depended on the value of the stamp and this one that may have faded with time looks a shade of blue to me but was identified as green.  The design was used for a long enough period of time that these stamps can be found in flea markets and other places. 

For additional information about Joseph Blanc and the stamps please see:
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Blanc_%28peintre%29
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_Blanc

Les Jardins du Peyrou
[photo by Jean-Luc Zaragoza]

The vintage postcard arrived in my mailbox accompanied by the card above showing an aerial view of modern day Montpellier featuring Peyrou park together with a letter containing additional information about both cards and the stamp.  From the view it is possible to see the symmetry of the park and its relationship to this section of the city.  The water tower looks larger and the statue pedestal looks much smaller—it is centered in the area with the trees.  The triumphal “golden” arch seen just at the upper middle left of the card balances the arched water tower.   The photographer is identified on the reverse as Jean-Luc Zaragoza, the card was printed by Meridionales and titled “Les jardins du Peyrou.”


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Merci beaucoup!  J'aime les cartes postales, des photos et du timbre.  Merci aussi pour les informations intéressantes sur le parc et le timbre.
[Thank you very much.  I love the postcards, the photos and the stamp. Thank you also for the interesting information about the park and the stamp.]