This vintage real photo postcard features a handsome soldier. He is wearing a military uniform and cap. The pin on his hat indicates that he was a member of the 9th regiment of the infantry. I do not know the soldiers nationality. The message on this card includes the word “captivite”. Captivite, translated from the French means “captivate”. Was the writer of this postcard talking about capturing the town of Munsterlager, or was he referring to himself as being a prisoner of war? Perhaps a visitor to the cabinet card gallery will be able to translate the message for those of us with a French language deficit. This photo was taken in the mid 1910’s by the Schubert studio in Munsterlager. During the first World War (1916), the Breloh Camp was built in Munster by a regiment of gas warfare engineers. The next year there was construction of a facility for gas munitions. In all, three factories were built for the purpose of manufacturing chemical war material and related munitions. (SOLD)
This photograph features a uniformed soldier standing in a farmer’s field and posing behind his bicycle. This photo was found in a shop in the Texas Hill Country. It was part of a group of Foxco images from the mid 1940’s. This photograph was developed by Foxco of San Antonio. The company has an interesting history. The Fox Photo Studio was opened by Arthur C. Fox in 1906 in San Antonio, Texas. Fox sold the studio for seven hundred dollars to Carl D. Newton in 1909. Newton was a clever entrepreneur. One of his gimmicks was to offer a free camera to anyone buying three rolls of film and prepaying developing and printing fees. His successor to the business was Carl D Newton II. By the mid 1930’s Fox advertised itself as the world’s largest Kodak finishers. Their processing plant was in operation around the clock. The company expanded and opened facilities in Dallas, Houston, Louisiana and Oklahoma. The company grew and grew and ultimately reached 12,000 dealers nationwide. In 1986, the company was sold to Kodak. Carl D Newton III kept the retail division of the business, calling it Fox Photo. Later, the business changed hands a number of times until it faded into history. The photo measures about 3 1/4″ x 2 1/4″. (SOLD)
This vintage real photo postcard features four precious young boys playing soldier. They are posed in a formation which makes one think that a Sergeant just yelled to them, “Present Arms”. SOLD
I wish I knew more about this soldier. This vintage snap shot features a European military man. My first guess is that he is a member of the French or Belgian army. I am hypothesizing that he is an officer. The evidence of his higher rank is the sword that he is carrying. The gentleman is wearing three medals. The number 1554 appears on his hat and on his collar. Is that the number of his regiment? The soldier appears to be standing in a manicured garden. This vintage photo measures about 3 1/2″ x 4 5/8″ and is in very good condition (see scans).
This vintage snapshot photograph features three soldiers in their camp in Tra Vinh, Vietnam. According to the inscription on the reverse of the photograph, this photo was taken in 1948. Tra Vinh is a province in the Mekong Delta. The photograph shows French troops who were engaged in battle with the Viet Minh. The men are engaged in some sort of activity. Are they cooking? Are they purifying water? I’m stumped. Two of the men are smoking cigarettes and all three look serious and exhausted. This snapshot photo measures about 3 1/2 ” x 2 3/8″ and is in very good condition. SOLD
This vintage real photo postcard features a handsome French soldier. The previous owner of this photo postcard reports that the soldier is from the era of World War I. The most notable aspect of this postcard is that the soldier is wearing a French Fourragere decoration. If you look at the soldiers left shoulder, you will see a braided cord which is a Fourragere. This decoration was initiated by Napoleon I and it was given to units that distinguished themselves in battle. The award was revived during World War I. Note that the soldier’s collar holds pins indicating his honored unit was the 150th. This vintage real photo postcard is in very good condition (see scans)
This vintage real photo postcard features a group of World War I era French soldiers. Two men in the front row are holding a sign. The men are part of the 148th regiment (?). The text on the sign is related to a French military slogan that states “Honneur aux anciens, courage aux bleus”. This roughly translates to “honor to the old soldiers, courage for the rookies”. In French, “bleu” means “rookie”. The slogan refers to the historical fact that in the late 1700’s, rookies wore blue uniforms, while more veteran soldiers wore white uniforms. This vintage postcard has excellent clarity and is in very good condition.
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 