Highlights from my collection of nineteenth and early twentieth century photographs (cabinet photographs, cartes de visite (cdvs), albumen prints, real photographic postcards) of men with moustaches (or mustaches, depending on which side of the pond you hail from). We travel the world gleaning bits of information whilst admiring the expertly twirled moustaches on display.

Friday 2nd Movember: France

Two Frenchman, one in footballing clothes and the other in uniform.

I know nothing about the first man, except that he has very large ears. 

The second one is Maurice Chabanne and he is politely (using 'vous' rather than 'tu') writing to someone on the 26th December 1923. With my limited French I think it says something like this:

"I am asking you to come to dinner at midday, if you want to that is. You'll get chicken and rabbit. For the time being father is in hospital and 20 doctors have told him not to eat until after Christmas. For the moment they are giving him valerian tablets." 

I suppose Maurice didn't want all that spare meat to go to waste but we will never know who the guest was to be. Probably a neighbour because the postcard was hand delivered, if delivered at all, for there is no stamp. 

Interestingly, the French don't celebrate Boxing Day on the 26th December; it is just a normal working day.



























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