Figure 1.--The image here is one of a series of images taken of a group of Parisian children playing war in the middle of World War I. Their play was recorded in wonderful Autochromes by photographer Leon Gimpel. This photograph shows the 'Leader' in his role as a Boch, blindfolded ready to be blasted to pieces with the French 75 cannon Pépète is going to fire. This was the boys' idea. Gimpel was going to have a traditional firing squad! Many of the boys are wearing school smocks. We also see sailor suits. Notice the girl nurse wears long stockings.

We note a series of French autchromes taken during World War I. We would guess that they were taken early in the War, perhaps 1915. We suspect that adults were less enchanted with children playing war later in the War. A reader has found detailed information about the photograoher and the children. He comments, 'What you can do with a bag of barley sugar sweets (candy)." The Photographer was Leon Gimpel. All the photographs were not photogrphed on the the same day as we originally thought, but over a period of time. The usual day to photograph the children was a Sunday. Gimpel added a whimsey to his photographs. Often unnoticed in the background would be a poster. Its title would be the a referrence to the scene the children acted out. What happened was that Gimpel befriended a group of Parisian children who had formed themselves into a pretend play army. They lived in the Grenata Street area so the army was called The Grenata Street Army. Each Sunday they met to play war games. The French in their games of course always triumphed over the hated Boch. Gimpel would help the children make the war props out of what could be found. The street was a commercial retail centre. It was busy with shoppers all week but on Sunday when the shops had to close, it was a quiet back water. The names of two boys are known. The eldest who is only known as the 'Leader' and a disfigured little boy called Pépète. The leader was the eldest boy and he played the Boch. He died heroically for the Fatherland in the pretend game. He was blown to bits by the French 75 cannon. (A game remember.) A blood thirsty end! Pépète was the small disfigured boy who was often the one seen in model planes. He was a French air ace. They did not at first have a French flag but the 'Leader' said one of mother had one which she was keeping for Victory Day. Gimpel persueded the mother to loan it to the Army. Hense the French flag in the photographs. Sunday after sunday the children played war and Gimpel recorded their games using autochrome colour plates. The images of the Grenta Street Army still exist not only as individual photographs but in Gimpel's journal which records the exploits of the children. After the war games the barley sugars were eaten enthusiastic delight. A great moment to end the days play. On eating the sweets the children would shout out "Long Live the Photographer!" These Autochromes give us a fascinating look at the color of the clothes French children wore in the 1910s. Many of the boys are wearing school smocks. This surprised us because most of the Autochromes were takrn on a Sunday. We had thought that the children only wore their school smocks on schooldays. Perhaps some mothers had the boys wear their chool smocks when going out to play. We also see sailor suits. Notice the girl nurse wears long stockings. The boys all wear dark three-quarter socks.

Lumière Autchromes

The Autochrome process was invented by the Auguste and Louis Lumière in 1904 and was the world’s first practical color process (1904). They replaced the screen used by Joly with color dots. These were made from colored potato starch particles which had a diameter of only 15/1000 of a millimeter. The screen processes, good as they were, also had their faults. They were relatively insensitive. This meant that it could only be used in bright sunshine. When all went well with the exposure and processing and the results were then stored properly, the process bequeathed us some surprisingly vivid and fresh-looking images. It was first offered to the public a few years after it was first demonstrated (1907).

World War I Color Photography

World war I was extensively photographed by all the major combatant countries. There was even some motion pictures for the first time. Almost all this photiography was black and white. Thanks to the Lumière Autchromes, there are some color images. They are only a tiny fraction of the hige number of photigraohs taken during the war, but some do exist. We note a series of French Autchromes taken during World War I.

Léon Gimpel (1878-1948)

The Photographer of these charming scenes was Léon Gimpel, a well-known French photographer, a pioneer of both street photography and of color photograohy. Léon was born in Paris (1878). His family owned a textile plant. His older brother Eugene mnaged it and Léon worked there. he obtained, of all things, a Kodak detective camera (1897). He became as aresult intensly interested in photography. He soon turned this in for a Spido Gaumont which had more elborate settings with which to experiment. He was soon focusing all his energy on photography (1900). He captured the 1900 World's Fair in Paris with a series of photoigraphs. He was quickly recognized as a very proficient photographr (1904). Hios imagfes were regukrly featured in important French magazines: La Vie au Grand Air, La Vie Illustrée and L'Illustration. Gimpel was the first photographer to have color images published (1907). He used the Lumière Autchromes process that was relesed. L'Illustration devoted a special issue to show case the the new technology, It included an insert featuring four Autochromes Gimpel toiok. They included a group of soldiers, two scenic views of Villefranche-sur-Mer, and a sunset at Lake Geneva. This was followed a few weeks later with another Gimple Autochrome. L'Illustration published his photigraph King Frederick VIII of Denmark and his wife Louise of Sweden, who were visiting Paris (June 29, 1907). It was the first color news photograph. Perhaps his most famous Autcochromes today, certainly the most chsrmoing, are these images of the Grenata Street Army (1915). He also took real photographs of the French war effort, although the slow speed of the Autochromes precluded any action images. After vthe War, Gimprk shot a series of spectacukar color images of the Christmas lights in Paris (1920s). Gimpel married Marguerite Bouillon late in life (1939). They settled in Béarn. He died at Sérignac-Meyracq (1948).

Grenata Street Army

What happened was that Gimpel befriended a group of Parisian children who had formed themselves into a pretend play army. They lived in the Grenata Street area so the army was called The Grenata Street Army. Each Sunday they met to play war games. His photographs dicumented their battles. The French of course in the game always triumphed over the hated Boch. Gimpel would help the children make the war props out of what could be found, including an airplane. The street was a commercial retail centre. It was busy with shoppers all week but on Sunday when the shops had to close, it was a quiet back water.

Chronology

ThecGrenata Stree images were taken early in the War, perhaps 1915. We suspect that adults were less enchanted with children playing war later in the War.

The Photography

A reader has found detailed information about the ohotograoher and the children. He comments, 'What you can do with a bag of barley sugar sweets (candy)." All the photographs were not photogrphed on the the same day as we originally thought, but over a period of time. The usual day to photograph the children was a Sunday. Gimpel added a whimsey to his photographs. Often unnoticed in the background would be a poster. Its title would be the a referrence to the scene the children acted out. They did not at first have a French flag but the 'Leader' said one of mother had one which she was keeping for Victory Day. Gimpel persueded the mother to loan it to the Army. Hense the French flag in the photographs. Sunday after sunday the children played war and Gimpel recorded their games using autochrome colour plates. The images of the Grenta Street Army still exist not only as individual photographs but in Gimpel's journal which records the exploits of the children.

The Children

The names of two boys are known. The eldest who is only known as the 'Leader' and a disfigured little boy called Pépète. The leader was the eldest boy and he played the Boch. He died heroically for the Fatherland in the pretend game. He was blown to bits by the French 75 cannon. (A game remember.) A blood thirsty end! Pépète was the small disfigured boy who was often the one seen in model planes. He was a French air ace.

Sweets

After the war games the barley sugars were eaten enthusiastic delight. A great moment to end the days play. On eating the sweets the children would shout out "Long Live the Photographer!" The children are clearly enjoying the sweets. Chidren at the time did not get treats as commonly as modern children.

Post Cards

A French reader tells us, "Gimpel was a famous photograph. He was pionner with the photo in color. Maintly, he worked for colour magazines providing photos. The scenes of children playing war were a bit controversial. These photos were made by children wearing their normal uniform, in a popular street of Paris during 1915. This may have been seen as cute at first, but attitudes began to change by 1916. Gimpel tried to sell these images as postcards in 1916, but had little succes. Apparently few were purchased. Mothers no longer saw this as cute, and I doubt if thgeir fathers at the front woukd have appreciated them. After 1917, French mothers would have strongly disapproved of images like this. There were aot of World war I post cards in France, but the main focus was on the father's absence. It always included affectinnate words for dad. The reason of course was the dreadful losses on the Western Front. Since 1870 the antiGerman feeling was very deep. They were called 'Boches' In school pupils were taught that Germany was our ennemy. Alsace and Lorrain could anymore stand German. Then the war came. France suffered 1.7 millions men killed and 4.3 wounded-- called ' Gueules cassées' In Germany it is 2.4 millions killed and 4.3 millions wounded! American casualties were amall fraction. [HBC note: This is absolutekt true, but American casualktiues during the time tge AEF was committed to battle were comoarablke to Allie casulty rates.] Germany lost 20 percebnt of its under the terns of the Treaty oif Vesailles. In France there were 0.8 million orphans. Large agricutur areas were for several years devasted by the ombing, explosionss, trenches, and poison gas. Many reasons for feelings of hatred and revenge.

Clothing

These Autochromes give us aascinating look at the color of the clothes French children wore in the 1910s. Many of the boys are wearing school smocks. This surprised us because most of the Autochromes were takrn on a Sunday. We had thought that the children only wore their school smocks on schooldays. Perhaps some mothers had the boys wear their chool smocks when going out to play. We also see sailor suits. Notice the girl nurse wears long stockings. The boys all wear dark three-quarter socks. A French reader writes, "These images are in sone ways like post cards wgiuch were popular at the time. The post cards offten were made to depict French every day life. We note images with children plating, at school or in Sunday outfits. Sometimes the children were photographed in their own garmebts. I had this experience in 1947-50. During the early-20th century, children portrait were idealised, and practicly always photographed with flowers. As far as I can tell, the children here are wearing their own clothing and except for the military items not costumes. The one thing that puzzels me is the school smocks because you repoirt that the images were taken in Sunday. Smocks were school garments and nec=ver worn on Sunday. The oinly exceotion I know of is a short period right after World War II. We had two sorts of garments whn I was a boy, those of the week going to school completed by a smock, and the Sunday oufit. The children changed their weekly garments every Monday."

Created: 4:22 AM 2/8/2012
Last updated: 4:22 AM 2/8/2012