Figure 1.--Here we see the nursery or maternalle classe at the Ecole Jeanne d'Arc in 1950. The boys wear a range of outfits. We see several boys wearing rompers, but none seem to be wearing smocks. Click on the image to see a CP class (kindergarden) at the school in 1956.

The Ecole Jeanne d'Arc was a French school located in Oran, Algeria. We know little about the school. We note an image of the Maternelle or nursery school from 1950. The school was presumably a primary school with a nuresery as one of the classes. We notice some nuns in the school photographs so this my have been a Catholic school. The school had both boys and girls, but they were in separate classes. The boys wear a variety of outfits. Many of the younger boys wear rompers, but we do not see any of the boys here wearing smocks. We ntoe another portrait at the school of a CP (kindergarden) class in 1956. (It can be viewed by clicking on the image here.) The boys wear a variety of outfits in this photograph, including smocks and rimpers. An internet site had school portraits, but no information about the school.

A French reader writes, "Notice that in this Catholic school most of the children appear to have come attentive families. Several boys were dressed in rompers. Perhaps some children wearing smocks took them off for the photo. Notice that there are no Algerian children. Here both the relogious nature of the school and the school fees were factors. In the CP class the pupils are 6-7 years old. One boy wears a romper (click on the image). This was not very common. Boys commonly wore rompers in Maternelle, but not in CP. Sometimes CP boys might wear rompers for special occassions or the school fête. I remember to have seen some boys 6 years old dressed with white one piece romper about 1953 for a formal visit my uncle made to a school and took me along. In this time I was boy and remember having found them smart."

Created: 4:55 AM 11/23/2004
Last updated: 10:17 AM 11/25/2004