Figure 1.--This appears to be a French commercial postcard showing what looks to be a painting. It is signed what looks something like 'Casromer'. We have no idea as to the identity of the boy. French post cards would sold throughout Europe, in this case Belgium. It was sent from Liège, a city in Belgian Walonia where French is spoken and French cuklture is dominant. The sender was a Polish resudent. The message on the back seems to be in Polish. Another reader thinks it may be Kithuanian. In any case as it is a commercial postcard, there is no relationship between the boy on the front and the person sending the card. The pist card is dated 1937. At this time many Polish workers were coming to work in the Belgian coal mines. These peoples were veryhard working and also came to work in mines in Germany and France. (After Hitler seized power, NAZI authorities began deporting Poles who were not citizens.) Put your cursor on the image to see the back of the card with the message. .

This appears to be a French commercial postcard showing what looks to be a painting. It is signed what looks something like 'Casromer'. We have no idea as to the identity of the boy. French post cards would sold throughout Europe, in this case Belgium. It was sent from Liège, a city in Belgian Walonia where French is spoken and French culture is dominant. The sender was a Polish resident. The message on the back seems to be in Polish. Another reader thinks it may be Kithuanian. In any case as it is a commercial postcard, there is no relationship between the boy on the front and the person sending the card. The pist card is dated 1937. At this time many Polish workers were coming to work in the Belgian coal mines. These peoples were veryhard working and also came to work in mines in Germany and France. (After Hitler seized power, NAZI authorities began deporting Poles who were not citizens.)

Commercial Postcard

France had the largest postcard industry in Europe. French post cards would sold throughout Europe, in this case Belgium. This appears to be a French commercial postcard showing what looks to be a painting. We are not sure about this, but there does appear to be an artist's signature in the lower-left corner of the portrai. The signatyure is something like 'Casromer'. A French reader tells us, "At this time, the French mothers dreamed to have a such child. And they spent lots of money to dress them in fashionable garments. After the 1930s came World War II and the Germans. The postcards with beautifulyy dressed children went out of fashion. The people simply took photos and sent them to the familly."

Identity

We have no idea as to the identity of the boy. If it is as we think a commercialm postcarsd, the boy may have been a mode. Or perhps he was a famous boy, but as he is not idetified, this seems unlikely. He looks to be abouy 5-6 years old. A reader thoufght 6 years old was likely.As it was a Frebnch postcard, opresumably the boy is French.

Chronology

The post card is dated 1937. The year is a little unckear, but it seens to be 1937. It is written 16 XII 1937. the 7 is a little endistinct, but it seems to mean December 16, 1937, meaning around Christmas. But as this is a commercial postcard, the photograph was probably tajen a few years earlier.

Clothing

This boy is wearing what might be called a Little Lord Fauntleroy suit, aklthough the term was probably not used in France by the 1930s. He has a fancy short-sleeved blouse. Whiche he wears with a velvet suit, a cut away jacket and short pants. A French reader writes, "Yes beautifull painting portrait from about 1932-37. The boy is excactly dressed in fashion 1930-1950 and has the well attitude as we called 'Petit garçon modèle''. Similar post cards were made with fashionally dressed littlle girls. "

Hair Style

The boy has what I think the French called a 'choupette'. It was a fancy cut for little boys with a big curl on top of the head. We see this style into the 1950s. This boys chopette was done with curls at the sides as well.

Liège

The Postcard was mailed from Liège, a city in Belgian Walonia where French is spoken and French culture is dominant. The address is not apparent.

Polish Workers

World War I was a huge disruptive event. And birders were redrawn in the East. As aesukt, there were Polish citizens in Germany and neigboring countries after the war. And many Poles moved west seeking jobs, many were miners. The sender here seems to be a was a Polish resident in Belgium. The message on the back seems to be in Polish. Another reader thinks it may be Lithuanian, a country bordering Polanhd and that has a long association with Poland. In any case as it is a commercial postcard, there is no relationship between the boy on the front and the person sending the card. At this time many Polish workers were coming to work in the Belgian coal mines. These peoples were veryhard working and also came to work in mines in Germany and France. (After Hitler seized power, NAZI authorities began deporting Poles who were not citizens. The NAZIs especially wentv after Polish Jews, but Christians were also deported if gthey were Polidh citizens.)

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Created: November 18, 2001
Last updated: 3:11 AM 6/14/2013